Strange symbol on tulwar blade?
 

Hi folks - below is a nice simple tulwar of decent quality that has come into my hands. The blade is nicely made, with one full on one side and twin fullers on the other, it is sharp and flexible with lots of distal taper.

What I want to know is, does the symbol on the blade mean anything to anyone here? The writing in it has been mostly rubbed out through polishing during its working life, but I wondered if the overall motif rung any bells?

Thanks,
Matt

This is very much not my area but it strikes me as similar to some of the Asadullah makers mark motifs?

Agree. Looks like a crude attempt to add an Assadullah cartouche to an otherwise purely Indian blade.

It certainly wants to be an Islamic inscription, but there are some anomalies.
First off, it is etched rather than chiseled. Too, the characters look to have been copied from another blade, probably by someone who could not read them. The biggest problem, however, is that it is heavily worn. If someone can enhance the contrast, we might be able to determine a little more.

In On Damascus Steel, Leo Figiel pictures a number of blades which are not of Persian form, but are nonetheless inscribed. The Safavids impacted many neighboring cultures, particularly the Mughals. Thus, many Persian terms and characteristics relating to arms, inscribed cartouches prominent among them, occurred on weapons considered characteristically "Indian."

Thanks guys, very interesting. So this may have been added fairly crudely to what seems an basic-quality tulwar appeal to a Muslim buyer who probably wouldn't be able to read anyway?

Hi Matt. Your guess is as good as any. May be as simple as an owner/seller looking to add "value" to an otherwise pedestrian blade by putting that cartouche there. :shrug:

Genuine Asadullah blades are scarce, valuable and highly desirable.

I think Oliver has a very strong point, to say that they must have been copied by someone not able to read the characters.

Think of how many blades are 'signed' by Assad Ullah, had he made all the blade himself he would have been likely to have be 400 years old – or something like that.

Copies of inscriptions were made. Some when the blade was made and some later, and some were better at copying than others.

To me this inscription is a crude copy, maybe made later than the blade.

Jens