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Originally Posted by Michael Blalock
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Salaams Michael Blalock, Thank you for opening the discussion again upon this subject...I noted some time ago that the Wallace had a good example of this weapon. It occurred to me that the work if it is Yemeni could come from one of the Jewish houses?...Such is the delicate nature of the decorative work.
I refer you to one important post from Ham at your reference which I
Quote "Gentlemen,
These are very rare swords indeed but they are not Omani, nor for that matter are they from anywhere in Arabia. They are from the Emirate of Bukhara in Central Asia, as a brief comparison of the repeating engraved motifs on any of the examples of bronze and silverwork from that region pictured in A SONG IN METAL, Abdullayev et al, will show. The few examples I have seen were datable to the early 19th century. There is a fine sword of this type in the Moser Collection, now part of the Berne Historical Museum in Switzerland but it (and all the rest) were taken off display a couple of years ago for some reason. There is another in the V & A pictured in Coe's SWORD AND HILT WEAPONS p. 141; it is included with a group of other swords and unhelpfully described, "Turkish and Persian weapons of the 16th-19th century" or something similar. Jarnuszkiewicz's excellent work SZABLA WSCHODNIA I JEJ TYPU NARODOWE shows the origin of this form on plate 11, a 9th century Samanid king from a fresco at Nisapur carries one extremely similar. Perhaps Pan Michal de Wolviex can post this?
Given the conservative nature of Central Asian groups-- both nomadic and sedentary-- it is not unusual that the form survived so long. One doubts nonetheless that they were ever very common; swords in Central Asia in general, except for that unpleasant late 19th century variety of Afghan saber that so clumsily sought to duplicate the fine lines of the Caucasian shashka, were relatively rare and then usually limited to Persian shamshirs, or the equally rare Bukharan sidearm which looks like an attenuated peshqabz, see Elgood ed., ISLAMIC ARMS AND ARMOUR, FLINDT, for examples.
These swords are quite rare. Congratulations on such fine acquisitions."Unquote.
Jim McDougall ~ Thank you for your excellent referenced reply and I agree these look like fine weapons... though there may be some influence from the Omani general style in similarity with the Old Omani Battle Sword I am not sure what other bridges there may be and in fact looking at the hilt though it is with a cuff...and has a tubular hilt and ends with a pommel (which I agree is a religious architectural design) there is something strange about its comparison ...which I cannot put my finger on !! The blade is broad sharpened on both sides..and with a single fuller and I wonder to its flexibility...It has an apparent pointed tip...and it looks pretty rigid? The decoration is distinctly not Omani but I cannot rule out some sort of influence .No sword like this exists in any of the National Museums in Oman nor any of the publications...but I agree it does rather jump off the page when comparing the Omani style. I do, however, tend to agree about the provenance above and would be pleased to hear what others have to say particularly about the two identical stamps..?? I think I recall the Wallace example was suspected of having been done as a special commission for a well off person...and that may have been for someone in Cairo perhaps... and provenanced to the Bukhara region...as already stated.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.