Syrian Dagger

[Tatyana Dianova]

Here is a pretty interesting old dagger from Syria. The fittings are nielloed silver; the handle is made of Rhino horn.

It is known that a lot of Circassians have settled in Syria in 19th century – can someone confirm that the fittings are Circassian in style? There were Jewish and Armenian silversmiths in Syria who have made nielloed silver as well.

Can somebody translate the inscriptions? Maybe they can tell the production time and the silversmiths’ name?

[Tatyana Dianova]

Inscriptions:

[Sajen]

Hello Tatjana,

can't be from help but have to say that it is a real beauty! :)

Regards,
Detlef

[broadaxe]

Very, very nice khanjar. Though I think the horn parts are not rhino but probably bovine, it is not to disrespect the item. While the form is clearly Syrian/Majdali, the work looks Armenian. I've handled a bunch of Jordanian shabriyyahs made exactly the same way, they were made by an Armenian silversmith family in Amman.

[Kubur]

Is it possible that these objects are connected to the Circassian Royal Guards in Jordan??

[Oliver Pinchot]

The only characteristics that suggest any Circassian influence at all are the general use of niello and the zigzag matting. I've seen examples of Ottoman provincial/Arab work which clearly duplicate Circassian motifs, these really don't.
The inscriptions bear this out. Circassian work with any epigraphy whatever, no matter how elaborate or simple the overall piece, will be well-calligraphed. This is not, however. The signature Work of Muhammad Mabri (?) and the benedictions Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim (Blessing of God, Most Merciful and Compassionate) and Nasr min Allah wu fath qarib (Victory from God and conquest nigh) seem hastily executed by comparison. That said, it is an especially aesthetic example of its type. Most of these were made from Baghdad to Damascus between the world wars.