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Originally Posted by spiral
The hilt appears a reconstituted material, whatever its origins... Not the fantasy of Giraffe though...
Ive found Plastic is common in the so called "Amber" hillted pieces sold by all the top dealers we know & love...  :
Spiral |
Salaams Spiral ~ It is an interesting point... "The Fantasy of Giraffe" .. For those not in on the subject Zraff is the common term both in Oman and Yemen for
Rhino. (Though in Yemen there are also several other names depending on the grade/age of the horn) I recall searching on and off for many years for the Giraffe alternative and imagined hoof as well as horn from the Giraffes head as being used for some hilts. To date I have never seen a Giraffe horn hilt and like you I suspect it was all a play on words.
On the subject of the Jizzan Saudia weapon (though in fact when this weapon was born sometime after about 1840 derived from the Omani Royal Khanjar style invented by Sheherazad wife of the Saaid Sultan it was Yemen but annexed in the early 20thC by Saudia)
Thinking aloud ~I suspected amber(ar. anbar) or composite... ~ It has the colour of Yemeni amber. When it burns (hot pin test) I imagine it is quite pungent. The only other thing I know about amber is that it floats...not a practical test on hilts clad in silver etc.
T Koch ~ ah well there is the giraffes head... I never saw a giraffe skull before.. The weapon belongs to Al Nakas as does the thread...
Yes it's a nice example.
So what is it ?
I am going to make a bold opinion having been over the pictures with a magnifier and say this is in fact Rhino. Check the entire left half of the main expanded picture and you will see the spagghetti form of Rhino Horn ('Wahid al Garn' or Z'raff) ... Its Rhino which is common in Al JAZZAN HILTS and burns with the smell of hair.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.