A question about a lion

[Drabant1701]

I have this 19th century ottoman shamshir. It has a rather common makers mark and a lion carved in the blade. It has been discussed several times on the forum and I have read Olivers article http://auctionsimperial.com/om-the-persian-shamshir-and-the-signature-of-assad-allah/.

I do not however know what the text in the lion says. Any guesses? I does not quite look like the exampel in Olivers article.

EDIT: looked deeper in the forum and found this thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12903&highlight=assad+allah

Looks to me like its says "Assad Allah" like in that exampel from that thread, only mine looks kinda crude compared to that one :D

[Bryce]

G'day Drabant1701,


Yours is very similar to mine discussed on this thread.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23381

Cheers,
Bryce

[Oliver Pinchot]

The inscription on the lion appears to read, MASH'ALLAH-- God's blessing.
Please post a closeup.

[Drabant1701]

The inscription on the lion appears to read, MASH'ALLAH-- God's blessing.
Please post a closeup.

Thank you Oliver. Here are some close-ups. I dont know if the dot to the far right is the tigers eye or part of the word, seem like a weird place to put an eye imo.

[Oliver Pinchot]

Please repost the large pic without the red marks

[Drabant1701]

Please repost the large pic without the red marks

Larger picture.

[Arthur.Rothschild]

It has written Asad Allah(the lion of god). This is the senior sword maker during Abass Shah tenure. However, this stamp is not authentic. This stamp was used many years for trade mark. In addition, this sword made in Iran (Asfahan) not Demas( Syria).
There are only 10 swords in the world who are really made by Asad Allah before kidnaping him. These swords have a different stamps. The name of maker Asad Allah and Quranic call( Ya Qazi Al- Hahat) which means the one(god) who answers the requests/ prayers.

I hope that helpful

Cheers

[ariel]

There are only 10 swords in the world who are really made by Asad Allah before kidnaping him.


Kidnapping whom or what?Can you clarify?


And did I understand you correctly that you know 10 genuine swords of Assadulla? Can you be more specific?

[Jens Nordlunde]

Ariel, you are quite good when you are on your marks:-))))). But you are right that it seems like postulates.
Jens

[ariel]

Jens,
Thanks for the compliments, but this time around mine were just dumb or dumbfounded questions.

BTW, the Rivkin/Isaak book on Eastern Sword advances an interesting hypothesis re. the origin of the Persian lion mark: old Mamluk symbol. I will have to re-read it couple more times to figure out whether there are any logical or factual holes I have missed. So far, I could not find anything glaring, no matter how contrary it may sound to everything we think we know.

I love historical sleuthing!