An Indian Sword with a Causcasian Blade

[CharlesS]

Most of you know my interest in cross cultural weapons from throughout the Islamic world. This one is one of both quality and elegant beauty.

The blade here is Caucasian made, likely from Tbilisi(Georgia), and probably late 18th to mid 19th century. The blade is forged from fine twistcore steel, the pattern being clearly visible throughout its length. The maker's mark and blade style are similar to another sword discussed here recently.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=19369

It has been suggested to me that the letters in the cartouche are Armenian and that the sitting lion may be a mark for "export" or trade blades...I am not sure of either of these facts.

The sword's hilt looks like a typical tulwar hilt at first glance, but the quillions are rather long and unique to a tulwar hilt. Though I have seen this style on Indian tulwar hilts, the quillons were never this elongated.

The scabbard is new and custom made for this sword.

Dimensions:

Sword, overall: 37.5in.

Blade: 32in. long and 1.25in. wide at its widest point.

Additional information and comments are welcomed.

[David]

Impressive blade!

[Battara]

Crazy nice! Love that twist core blade and the koftgari is superb! :D

[RSWORD]

Charles,

Your pictures don't really do this piece justice. You can't get a feeling for the size and heft of the sword and the blade is much more impressive in person than in your pictures. Really nice and interesting sword! I hope you learn more about the marking!

[Rick]

Color me green . :cool:

[Oliver Pinchot]

Charles, your blade is not only a fine Caucasian one, but was made by an Armenian smith cited by Emma Astvatsaturian in Oruzhiye Narodov Kavkaza (Atlant, 2004-- this is the most recent, expanded edition) p. 334. She pictures this exact mark! Congratulations, again!

[CharlesS]

Thanks for the input guys!

Oliver, this is outstanding info....so is that simply the maker's mark, or does it perhaps designate a "trade blade" status to the blade as another person theorized? Perhaps the book does not go into that much detail.

[Andrew]

Wow. Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this with us, Charles!

[Oliver Pinchot]

Charles, trade blades were made in the southern Caucasus, but I would not place this among them. The work is very fine and though twistcore blades certainly come up, they aren't common, especially not in this length.

The scenario probably went something like this: Imperial Russia and Persia went head to head over territory many times in the early 19th century, beginning with the devastation of Georgia by Agha Muhammad Khan in 1795. The blade was likely made to order for a local client, probably a Georgian of substantial means. Unlike many others, the Georgian nobility regularly led their troops into battle, thus a fine weapon like this one would have been wielded on the front lines. We may assume it was captured and found its way around Iran and down into India through trade thereafter. I would suggest that the mark is that of an individual, and a master at that. Several noted Armenian smiths worked between Nakhchivan and Tbilisi, and this is probably one of them.

The form of the hilt is also a bit atypical, showing a conflation of styles which is very appealing. The gold work is both lavish and in excellent taste; to me, this suggests that the last owner understood the quality of the blade and had a hilt of comparable quality made for it or perhaps used an heirloom.

[estcrh]

CharlesS, great blade, thanks for sharing. Oliver, great information, thanks for sharing.

[CharlesS]

Thanks again for the info and hypothesis Oliver!

[A.alnakkas]

Lovely blade. I have seen more than once, Saudi saifs with such a blade. They have travelled far and wide.