Yatagan Question
 

found this yatagan on a local gunshow. i was wondering if anyone can shed light on this sword. handle is made out of horn, with those "button" designs. i'm not sure what's the significance of those decoration on the handle, and really appreciate if anyone can shed a light on this. any comments is appreciated. thanks in advance...

OAL= 28"
Blade = 24.5"

there's a mark on the blade. any significance, and what does it mean?

I can't really read arabic, but it seems to be "amale ali" (made by ali) to me.

This should be an extreme state of humbleness... :)

The 'buttons' seem to be a nuclear symbol. I would secure this yataghan behind some lead bricks :)

just kidding - very nice piece.

j.

Hello,

this kind of "nuclear symbol" decoration can often be seen on Bosnian Bishaqs of the mid to late 19th century.

Best regards, Helge

lol, that's what i told the seller when i first saw it. what is so amazing is there seems to be greenish material embedded within the the brass or copper 'buttons'. does anyone know the significance of this? also, what is the provenance of this yatagan?

btw, thanks for the comments so far...

Hi Spunger,

The "buttons" are characteristic of Ottoman work, usually seen in flintlocks and in Balkan daggers. Perhaps this is Balkan?

Moderator's Note ...
 

The owner of this yataghan has informed me that this sword is now for sale on eBay. Accordingly, I am moving this thread to Swap so that everyone is aware that it is now on eBay and for sale.

Please observe the EAA Forum policy about not commenting on active auctions. If you wish to correspond with Ron about this sale, please post your question in Swap or use the PM or email functions on this site.

Ian.