Wolviex, the way you have photographed the weapons, the backgrounds you have chosen, plus the way you have worked with the backgrounds really brings the details/weapons in the foreground – excellent.
The helmet with mask is in a quality very rarely seen. These masks are seldom, when you add the quality of both, its unique. Is it possible that you can also show the mail-plated shirt? I am not very good at guessing age from pictures, but I think I will agree with Dr. Syed Zafar Haider who, in ‘Islamic Arms and Armour of Muslim India’, writes that it is from Sind late 18th century.
The enamelled shamshir khurasani with the three dragonheads, the Persian azdaha, is very nice to say the least. The pattern on the scabbard is nice, and patterns like this can be seen on south Indian stone sculptures dating from 1600-34 (see Elgood ‘Hindu Arms and Rituals’ page 122 and other pages). From studying the ‘Jeypore Enamels’ by Hendley, I would say the sword is from Jeypore 18th century. But tell me something; is the base metal gold or silver? To know this could help us a bit further.
The armguard is like all of the things shown in a fantastic quality. The sun is clear, but whether it is made in true or false damasceningis hard to tell from the picture, although, should I guess, I would say true damascening. Indo-Persian 18th century. It can be 17th century, but I think 18th is more likely.
Radu, you ask me about the axe, and you shall be warned, that I am no specialist when it comes to Persian weapons, or any other weapons for that matter, I am merely an interested collector, although I admit that I have seen a few Persian weapons, but when you ask, I will try to answer as best I can. It is a magnificent ceremonial axe, which can be seen is ‘Persian and Indo-Persian Arms and Armour of 16th – 19th Century from Polish Collection’ pages 353-55. The end of the ‘hammer’ is a head of some kind, it can easily be seen in the book, and the back of the top, is to the best of my opinion the sun, but when it comes to the other side, I will admit, that I will run for the help of others, with greater knowledge than I have, about the history of the religion – as it is obviously a religious motif, and I have an idea, that I have seen it before, but can’t, at the moment recall where – sorry. Persian late 17th or 18th century. Btw has the axe been ‘born’ with that top, or can it have been put on later?
The rest of the weapons I enjoy seeing, but will refrain to comment.
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