Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 31st October 2018, 10:36 AM

Thank You Haagen for a very interesting and peculiar project Khanjar which was probably made on the Baatinah Coast of Oman as you say in perhaps the 1970s. It is in the Baatinah style See The Omani Khanjar in this Forum. That thread carries more excellent references as well.

What is extraordinary about this weapon is the blade which says in Arabic brka .. Barka is a place on the Baatinah whose fort can be seen at Forts and Cannon of Oman again on Forum Library... In fact in India which was very much in touch as a destination with the Baatinah by sea the name Barka is that of a famous Hindu Princess apparently. While it would be quite romantic to have this related to a Hindu named Princess I would doubt that since Oman is Muslim but I just wanted to show we had looked at the possibility.

What makes the blade interesting is this cartouche with the name in it and the fact that this is not a normal steel Omani blade but is Wootz..(watered steel) not often seen on Omani weapons. It could be Indian. The remainder of the weapon is standard and with what looks like a cow horn hilt. I wonder if you may know where it was obtained? There may be the possibility it was collected as a tourist weapon whilst your people were visiting the region.

Thus so far as I can deduce; An Omani Khanjar in standard profile and silver stitched adornment of the 4 ringer Baatinah (from Barka near Muscat) form on a Cowhorn Hilt with an extraordinary blade in Wootz with an unfamiliar and unusual cartouche which because it says Barka may be a tourist item.

31st October 2018, 10:36 AM	#5
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Thank You Haagen for a very interesting and peculiar project Khanjar which was probably made on the Baatinah Coast of Oman as you say in perhaps the 1970s. It is in the Baatinah style See The Omani Khanjar in this Forum. That thread carries more excellent references as well. What is extraordinary about this weapon is the blade which says in Arabic brka .. Barka is a place on the Baatinah whose fort can be seen at Forts and Cannon of Oman again on Forum Library... In fact in India which was very much in touch as a destination with the Baatinah by sea the name Barka is that of a famous Hindu Princess apparently. While it would be quite romantic to have this related to a Hindu named Princess I would doubt that since Oman is Muslim but I just wanted to show we had looked at the possibility. What makes the blade interesting is this cartouche with the name in it and the fact that this is not a normal steel Omani blade but is Wootz..(watered steel) not often seen on Omani weapons. It could be Indian. The remainder of the weapon is standard and with what looks like a cow horn hilt. I wonder if you may know where it was obtained? There may be the possibility it was collected as a tourist weapon whilst your people were visiting the region. Thus so far as I can deduce; An Omani Khanjar in standard profile and silver stitched adornment of the 4 ringer Baatinah (from Barka near Muscat) form on a Cowhorn Hilt with an extraordinary blade in Wootz with an unfamiliar and unusual cartouche which because it says Barka may be a tourist item. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 31st October 2018 at 10:48 AM.