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26th October 2018, 09:45 AM | #1 | |
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Hi haagen , Without photos it is impossible to judge. Kurt |
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26th October 2018, 10:10 AM | #2 |
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1870s. I hope...
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28th October 2018, 09:50 AM | #3 |
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Pictures Khanjar
There are the pictures. So any details about the Khanjar would be great. Thx
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31st October 2018, 10:36 AM | #4 |
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Thank You Haagen for a very interesting and peculiar project Khanjar which was probably made on the Baatinah Coast of Oman as you say in perhaps the 1970s. It is in the Baatinah style See The Omani Khanjar in this Forum. That thread carries more excellent references as well.
What is extraordinary about this weapon is the blade which says in Arabic brka .. Barka is a place on the Baatinah whose fort can be seen at Forts and Cannon of Oman again on Forum Library... In fact in India which was very much in touch as a destination with the Baatinah by sea the name Barka is that of a famous Hindu Princess apparently. While it would be quite romantic to have this related to a Hindu named Princess I would doubt that since Oman is Muslim but I just wanted to show we had looked at the possibility. What makes the blade interesting is this cartouche with the name in it and the fact that this is not a normal steel Omani blade but is Wootz..(watered steel) not often seen on Omani weapons. It could be Indian. The remainder of the weapon is standard and with what looks like a cow horn hilt. I wonder if you may know where it was obtained? There may be the possibility it was collected as a tourist weapon whilst your people were visiting the region. Thus so far as I can deduce; An Omani Khanjar in standard profile and silver stitched adornment of the 4 ringer Baatinah (from Barka near Muscat) form on a Cowhorn Hilt with an extraordinary blade in Wootz with an unfamiliar and unusual cartouche which because it says Barka may be a tourist item. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 31st October 2018 at 10:48 AM. |
31st October 2018, 11:22 AM | #5 |
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Looks pattern welded to me.
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31st October 2018, 11:34 AM | #6 | |
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31st October 2018, 07:10 PM | #7 |
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I'm afraid I'm with Ariel on this. It doesn't look like fake etched pattern weld to me nor does the wear and the inscription look fake to me either. The blade and inscription might be later though.
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1st November 2018, 05:23 PM | #8 | |
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I am really unclear on the notion of 'fake' wootz. Could this be a genuinely older blade made in India or by an Indian artisan in Arabia....perhaps remounted as often the case with heirloom weapons? It seems that it has been stated that Barka is indeed a place in Oman which the apparent contraction brka may refer to. The fact that the style is in accord with that of these regions makes the association compelling. Good memories on the thread here on the forts and cannon of Oman. ..a fascinating topic with interesting context for this khanjhar. |
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2nd November 2018, 09:52 AM | #9 | |
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It is BARKA. It isn't a classic Omani Khanjar but is typical form for classic Baatinah style. The pattern looks only effective on the surface and not present on the cartouche . Anyway no one would put a real wootz blade on a cowhorn hilt. These were early days in Tourism in Muscat and the adjoining regions and in my view the shop has long gone. Marking blades with the placename must have stopped as it certainly isn't something I have seen before. There are still blades coming from a number of places including Roosi blades (Russian) and some are wootz or patterned but patterned blades aren't what Omani Khanjars are about although I have seen a few. |
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