Ottoman Court Dagger for Comment

ariel · 14th April 2008, 03:44 PM

Well, "Court Dagger" is not a defined form of a weapon ( like, for example, Flyssa or Kindjal). rather, it denotes a more sumptuous and decorative examle ( Like Kothimora Kukri).
I understand Yannis' point, but the main feature of a Yataghan is its blade: most often recurved ( with some "straight" exceptions) but always designed for cutting.
This one if a purely stabbing weapon. Thus, in my mind, it is not exactly a yataghan, handle notwithstanding. It is quite lavish and, taking into account the grossly non-standard blade ( trophy??? memento of a successful encounter???) I would be inclined to suggest more ceremonial, decorative function. True? False? Who knows.... This thingie is old and could have told us rather nasty campfire stories.
The "ears" are smaller that most, rounded and elongated: I wonder whether it hails from Greece. BTW, I love the old yellow color of the ivory!
And, as to the source of stones: there are plenty of arts and crafts shops that sell all kinds of stones and corals, very cheap. Check around: you must have one in your neck of the woods. In my small town ( ~125K) we have at least 2 that would supply corals of the needed size, form and color in 5 minutes flat. Atttaching them is easy: that was why God created "Gorilla Glue"

TVV · 14th April 2008, 07:43 PM

Interesting. The blade is obviously from a smallsword (mid 18th century? and I agree with Yannis most likely French), and how it ended up married to the hilt is anyone's guess. In the latest Hermann Historica auction I think I saw an almost identical one, which means that there are at least two of those daggers. They could have still belonged to the same person though.

Yannis · 14th April 2008, 09:31 PM

Well, after your comments I have to add

1. I have seen bronze with corals, silver with corals but not all three together (and in different styles). The items of Oriental Arms, you are pointing for us CourseEight, are silver with corals.

2. Ariel, yes there are Greek straight yataghans with ears like this, but not with corals, at least not on the scabbard. The use of corals is typical turkish style. Of course during the battles lot of weapons were changing hands. The silver part of scabbard could be later and Greek.

3. The blade could come from a thousand places. Napoleons army in Egypt, French diplomats, French volunteers (Philellenes) who helped Greek revolution etc.

4. Red Mediterranean corals are protected species under European Union law so you cannot find new ones here to replace them. I suppose (and I hope) that in US you find red corals from other seas, but these may look different on the item.

RSWORD · 14th April 2008, 10:19 PM

What you have is an Ottoman naval dirk of circa 1800. The triangular blade is not uncommon on these and were modeled after British examples when they came in vogue after Ottoman experiences with the British in the late 18th century. The scabbard is a bit atypical for these and may have been made at a later time for austentatious wearing occassions.

CourseEight · 14th April 2008, 11:19 PM

Thanks once again for the responses, this is all very interesting. I found the Hermann Historica auction on ebay, thanks TVV:

Link

And of course Rsword's explanation would also explain the existence of more than one. This one on Oriental-Arms does have quite the similar handle:

http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2563

Pity the Hermann Historica one has no scabbard, VERY happy about what they thought it was worth...

--Radleigh

Pics from the above mentioned auction:

ariel · 15th April 2008, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yannis

Well, after your comments I have to add

1. I have seen bronze with corals, silver with corals but not all three together (and in different styles). The items of Oriental Arms, you are pointing for us CourseEight, are silver with corals.

2. Ariel, yes there are Greek straight yataghans with ears like this, but not with corals, at least not on the scabbard. The use of corals is typical turkish style. Of course during the battles lot of weapons were changing hands. The silver part of scabbard could be later and Greek.

3. The blade could come from a thousand places. Napoleons army in Egypt, French diplomats, French volunteers (Philellenes) who helped Greek revolution etc.

4. Red Mediterranean corals are protected species under European Union law so you cannot find new ones here to replace them. I suppose (and I hope) that in US you find red corals from other seas, but these may look different on the item.

1. Paraphrasing my friend (surgeon) "If you have not seen a particular weapon, you have not seen enough of them"

2. Corals were very much in use (besides Northern Turkey) in Serbia and Bosnia ( short walk to Greece) and North Africa.
3.100% agreement
4. European Union????? Laws????? In the Mediterranean?????

There is still enough venerable Levantine spirit not to care about such pesky matters like "protected species" .
Besides, half of the Mediterranean countries are not members of the EU and do not give a dam about Brussels bureaucrats.

CharlesS · 15th April 2008, 02:16 PM

Is bluing typical to Ottoman court daggers?? Is it exclusive to court daggers? I have only seen it on two.

Yannis · 15th April 2008, 09:43 PM

No Charles. Bluing is not Ottoman at all. It is european stlyle.

But as the friend of our friend Ariel says "I have not seen enough of them"

Ariel, in Ottoman empire time, Greeks were living up to Romania and Slavs down to Peloponnese, so I dont mind about clean "ethnic" styles anymore. But a sort walk inside the borders, in local museums and books about traditional craftsmanship, shows an mysterious absence of red corals.

Maybe it is quite ridiculous as idea, but is it possible that red corals were a privilege of Muslims and not allowed to other populations? I know that in Byzantium red color, mainly porphyr, was only for the aristocracy and there was heavy punishment for the commons who used it.

Later, in Ottoman empire, if I am not wrong, emeralds were only for the sultan and his family. I wish someone can tell us more about the social taboos of stones and colors in Ottoman empire.

And please Ariel, let Brussels bureaucrats be. Sometimes, accidentally, they make fair rules, like this. After all these years of hunting them, in the end, the only red corals in Mediterranean we be in kitsch souvenirs and in our precious arms

14th April 2008, 11:19 PM	#5
CourseEight Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 222	Thanks once again for the responses, this is all very interesting. I found the Hermann Historica auction on ebay, thanks TVV: Link And of course Rsword's explanation would also explain the existence of more than one. This one on Oriental-Arms does have quite the similar handle: http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2563 Pity the Hermann Historica one has no scabbard, VERY happy about what they thought it was worth... --Radleigh Pics from the above mentioned auction: Attached Images

14th April 2008, 03:44 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Well, "Court Dagger" is not a defined form of a weapon ( like, for example, Flyssa or Kindjal). rather, it denotes a more sumptuous and decorative examle ( Like Kothimora Kukri). I understand Yannis' point, but the main feature of a Yataghan is its blade: most often recurved ( with some "straight" exceptions) but always designed for cutting. This one if a purely stabbing weapon. Thus, in my mind, it is not exactly a yataghan, handle notwithstanding. It is quite lavish and, taking into account the grossly non-standard blade ( trophy??? memento of a successful encounter???) I would be inclined to suggest more ceremonial, decorative function. True? False? Who knows.... This thingie is old and could have told us rather nasty campfire stories. The "ears" are smaller that most, rounded and elongated: I wonder whether it hails from Greece. BTW, I love the old yellow color of the ivory! And, as to the source of stones: there are plenty of arts and crafts shops that sell all kinds of stones and corals, very cheap. Check around: you must have one in your neck of the woods. In my small town ( ~125K) we have at least 2 that would supply corals of the needed size, form and color in 5 minutes flat. Atttaching them is easy: that was why God created "Gorilla Glue"

14th April 2008, 07:43 PM	#2
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,717	Interesting. The blade is obviously from a smallsword (mid 18th century? and I agree with Yannis most likely French), and how it ended up married to the hilt is anyone's guess. In the latest Hermann Historica auction I think I saw an almost identical one, which means that there are at least two of those daggers. They could have still belonged to the same person though.

14th April 2008, 09:31 PM	#3
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	Well, after your comments I have to add 1. I have seen bronze with corals, silver with corals but not all three together (and in different styles). The items of Oriental Arms, you are pointing for us CourseEight, are silver with corals. 2. Ariel, yes there are Greek straight yataghans with ears like this, but not with corals, at least not on the scabbard. The use of corals is typical turkish style. Of course during the battles lot of weapons were changing hands. The silver part of scabbard could be later and Greek. 3. The blade could come from a thousand places. Napoleons army in Egypt, French diplomats, French volunteers (Philellenes) who helped Greek revolution etc. 4. Red Mediterranean corals are protected species under European Union law so you cannot find new ones here to replace them. I suppose (and I hope) that in US you find red corals from other seas, but these may look different on the item.

14th April 2008, 10:19 PM	#4
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,089	What you have is an Ottoman naval dirk of circa 1800. The triangular blade is not uncommon on these and were modeled after British examples when they came in vogue after Ottoman experiences with the British in the late 18th century. The scabbard is a bit atypical for these and may have been made at a later time for austentatious wearing occassions.

15th April 2008, 02:16 PM	#7
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,854	Is bluing typical to Ottoman court daggers?? Is it exclusive to court daggers? I have only seen it on two.

15th April 2008, 09:43 PM	#8
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	No Charles. Bluing is not Ottoman at all. It is european stlyle. But as the friend of our friend Ariel says "I have not seen enough of them" Ariel, in Ottoman empire time, Greeks were living up to Romania and Slavs down to Peloponnese, so I dont mind about clean "ethnic" styles anymore. But a sort walk inside the borders, in local museums and books about traditional craftsmanship, shows an mysterious absence of red corals. Maybe it is quite ridiculous as idea, but is it possible that red corals were a privilege of Muslims and not allowed to other populations? I know that in Byzantium red color, mainly porphyr, was only for the aristocracy and there was heavy punishment for the commons who used it. Later, in Ottoman empire, if I am not wrong, emeralds were only for the sultan and his family. I wish someone can tell us more about the social taboos of stones and colors in Ottoman empire. And please Ariel, let Brussels bureaucrats be. Sometimes, accidentally, they make fair rules, like this. After all these years of hunting them, in the end, the only red corals in Mediterranean we be in kitsch souvenirs and in our precious arms