The Yemen Jambiya.

[DaveA]

Hello,

Welcome Sully! Very interesting to see your jambiya, an older example. I very much like to hear the stories told to you by the elders.

For comparison, here is my ‘aseeb (assib) janbiya with a “saifani" horn hilt from Yemen c. mid-20th C. The color of the hilt is lighter than yours although both have the beautiful translucent green/yellow tint.

The coins on the hilt are brass imitations of silver Venetian ducats. Originals (pre-1948) are prized for their conference of special status upon the owner.

Dave A.

[Ian]

Thanks Dave. DO you have an age estimate for your example.

Sully, Dave has pointed to the "coins" of brass on the hilt. Perhaps it is just the light and careful polishing, but yours have a "golden" glow and I wonder whether you have had the metal tested for its gold content. Also, the metal decorations on the back of your hilt look as though they may be silver. Even if its low-grade gold or silver, I think that points to a prestigious piece. I suspect the pins are also silver on the front of the hilt, as well as the band on the throat of the scabbard.

With regard to the scabbard, this seems a plain (yet apparently traditional) dress for a prestigious piece. Do you know what type of leather was used?

Regards, Ian

[DaveA]

Ian,

On my hilt pins are steel and the strip at the base of the hilt is silver. I do not have a firm data-driven estimate of the date, only what the seller has told me. The saifani hilt gets darker with time, but regular handling is also required. Yemeni men often rest their hands on the hilt of the jambiya so that confounds the dating.

Attached is a photo of fake Venetian ducats in the British Museum. There is quite a bit of history related to their use as decoration on edged weapons. Steve Gracie discusses them in his book about Yemeni Jambiya, page 193.

Dave