Thankss so much for your replies! I think the small sword origin of the blade is spot on. Since the decoration at the base of the blade terminates appropriately, I'm thinking this is the lower half of a small sword blade, reshaped at the tip (after breaking?) and modified to accomodate the yataghan handle. I still wonder if the inscriptions on the blade could better pin down its country of origin. Also, more generally, how would a modification such as this come about? Would the orginal small sword owner commision such a knife for himself, would a broken blade make its way via trade to some industrious swordsmith? We can't probably ever know about this one in particular, but I'm curious what is known about these processes in general.
My reference to the "Ottoman Court Dagger" were meant as an allusion to
this thread and others, where Jim writes that
Quote:
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these sumptuous sabres, and such like decorated weapons in general, are presentation items of probably late 18th to mid 19th century, and likely were mounted in Turkey, and purchased for such use by influential Ottoman figures and thier courts.
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I hadn't realized an Ottoman Court Dagger was an actual name for a specific weapon, so I've changed the title accordingly.
I don't necessarly agree that the scabbard is composite. Not to say it definitely isn't, but check out the photos below from Oriental-Arms (from
here and
here). They are both pieces with the standard coral decoration at the throat of the scabbard only, with silver work (one of them chased) below. There is evidence that the green portion on my scabbard should have a continuation of the chased white metal (the transition is abrupt in the pattern, and there are signs of "ripping") but no evidence of a slopy transition on the coral side. Also, the white metal fits the scabbard size perfectly (the seams are exact), and the sword fits the scabbard perfectly, so I think it was all done at the same time. It would definitely not look so pieced-together, I think, if that portion of white metal were there...
Thank you Ariel for your thoughts on restoring the corals, etc. Would one go to a jeweler for that, or is a professional sword restorer specilizing in this sort of work needed? Also, there are a few rosettes missing from the handle, and the afformentioned missing chased white metal. And thoughts on if/how to restore these aspects?
Thanks a bunch for your help!
--Radleigh