Ethnographic Arms & Armour

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

Ibrahiim,

The three sitting/kneeling men in the first row hold kattaras. Were they ready to dance?:-

Is it a pic of the Omani stag party raring to go to the local version of a debutante ball, perhaps:-)

As Ariel has wryly noted, the three men in the front row are seen with versions of the Omani sayf, one is actually it seems the curved variety (which would not have been involved in the dance).

It appears that this photograph, which shows the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, Faisal bin Turki (1864-1913) in a most formidable in appearance grouping of well armed members of his tribesmen. In around 1888, he was losing favor due to his increased dependence on the British, and there was internecine strife presenting an expected climate of insurgency constantly.

It is worthy of note that in these times, Muscat had become the virtual center of arms trade (firearms) moving large volume of rifles, and mostly Martini-Henry and breech loading guns. While the Arabs in general had a certain disdain for firearms historically, by this time, they had realized their advantage in combat.

Meanwhile, the sword, much as in most other countries, had become more a traditional accoutrement, or at best, a secondary weapon used subordinately to firearms.

The Omani swords in this photo, taken apparently sometime in the 1880s, are as noted, the type of sayf with elongated cylindrical hilt as used in the ceremonial Omani dance with sayfs in the Funun events. The man on the right has one with an exceptionally long and narrow hilt, which clearly exceeds the style of the 'dance' variety of these. This may be an instance of personal style in the manner of 'notariety' as these swords, both the 'dance' type as well as curved, were worn contemporarily as status oriented accoutrements, much as the khanjhar (seen prominently on the men in back row).
While these 'status' oriented examples were in the 'convention' of those intended for the dance ceremonies, they were often, if not typically, mounted with various trade blades, whether European or from Indian trade venues. The curved examples of course were invariably with European blades.
In observing the various Omani sayfs, Burton (1884) notes, citing Demmin (1877, p.396), that it was "...difficult to understand how this singular weapon could be wielded, it serves mostly for SHOW, and when wanted is used like a quarterstaff with both hands. But the Zanzibaris sword is always clumsy, as dangerous to the wielder as the old blade of the Gauls and ancient Britons ". He notes as well that their 'cousins', the Bedouin living about Muscat, had conserved many old weapons and presumed them to be from the times of the crusades. While the observation was cited from Demmin, Burton himself had likely seen these in 1856 when he was in Zanzibar, which was of course an Omani Sultanate.

In the 1860s through the 1880s in photography there was a style or convention known as CDV ('French, 'carte de visit', visiting or calling card) where individuals or groups were posed and augmented with items which were typically studio props. These were for example the familiar Civil War type photos with the soldier often in varied uniform and/or holding the usual Colt 'Navy' pistol and a large 'Bowie' knife. Many American Indian figures were also photographed wearing items of regalia not typically worn in their actual tribes.

It would seem perhaps that this photo could have been arranged in that concept, and that while the rifles were of course likely regularly carried or at hand, the swords, which had become a notable dynastic symbol, very much through the sword dance ceremony, were placed visibly in the front row with the Sultan and the figures flanked with him.