Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 22nd November 2017, 03:20 PM

Bryce,
With regard to your original question,
The lion pictogram is a stylized version of the Sun and Lion (Shir O Khorshid)which is an early symbol of Iran from about 12th century. It derives from old Babylonian astrology, the sun in the house of Leo, and became representative of Shia Islam. I am not theologically versed to explain the further dynamics, however, the Sun and Lion became the national emblem of the Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925). The attached image is the Pahlavi version of the symbol.

As I previously mentioned, Oliver Pinchot describes the use of this stylized lion pictograph well in his most important article, " ON THE PERSIAN SHAMSHIR AND THE SIGNATURE OF ASSAD ALLAH", ("Arms Collecting", Vol. 40, #1, Feb, 2002):

"....the remarkable popularity of Assad Allah blades during the Qajar era, throughout Persia, the Near East and Central Asia, then was the result of careful exploitation of an established name.
Despite the reduced quality of the product, clear marketing in a form which was readily recognizable ( i.e. THROUGH THE USE OF THE LION PICTOGRAM) proved especially effective, particularly among the illiterate.
The quality of Assad Allah blades produced during the Qajar era also reflected the supplanting of edged weapons by repeating firearms, and the dissipation of the quasi-mystical reverence in which swords had been formerly held.
In regions where the sword remained an important spiritual device and primary weapon, as among the Bedouin Arab discussed above, the demand for Persian blades remained consistently high".

The fact that this blade is heavier, and the apparent high quality of the Kirk Narduban steel, seems to suggest an earlier example using this well known pictogram, if what I am considering is correct. This does not mean that the blade has to correspond to the beginning of the Qajar dynasty (1794) as this was simply the era in which the use of this device became popular. The pictogram itself was a stylized version of the symbol long used in Iran, and may well have predated the Qajar adoption of the sun and lion.

The examples of blades I have seen with this pictogram usually have multiple channels , and though heavy, do not have the sweeping radius of the shamshir form as seen here. I have considered them probably first quarter of 19th century+.

Again, very nice example which may reflect earlier use of the Qajar pictogram with the Assad Allah signature, which in effect, seems to have become a kind of brand which paralleled the running wolf and name of Andrea Ferara in the European parlance.

In much the same manner regarding the Andrea Ferara name, on Assad Allah, L.A. Mayer ("Islamic Armourers and Their Work", 1962, p.26), notes him as one of the finest smiths, but most elusive and mysterious. Also that no contemporary chronicle mentions him as a living being and there are no historical details about his life or work.

22nd November 2017, 03:20 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	Bryce, With regard to your original question, The lion pictogram is a stylized version of the Sun and Lion (Shir O Khorshid)which is an early symbol of Iran from about 12th century. It derives from old Babylonian astrology, the sun in the house of Leo, and became representative of Shia Islam. I am not theologically versed to explain the further dynamics, however, the Sun and Lion became the national emblem of the Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925). The attached image is the Pahlavi version of the symbol. As I previously mentioned, Oliver Pinchot describes the use of this stylized lion pictograph well in his most important article, " ON THE PERSIAN SHAMSHIR AND THE SIGNATURE OF ASSAD ALLAH", ("Arms Collecting", Vol. 40, #1, Feb, 2002): "....the remarkable popularity of Assad Allah blades during the Qajar era, throughout Persia, the Near East and Central Asia, then was the result of careful exploitation of an established name. Despite the reduced quality of the product, clear marketing in a form which was readily recognizable ( i.e. THROUGH THE USE OF THE LION PICTOGRAM) proved especially effective, particularly among the illiterate. The quality of Assad Allah blades produced during the Qajar era also reflected the supplanting of edged weapons by repeating firearms, and the dissipation of the quasi-mystical reverence in which swords had been formerly held. In regions where the sword remained an important spiritual device and primary weapon, as among the Bedouin Arab discussed above, the demand for Persian blades remained consistently high". The fact that this blade is heavier, and the apparent high quality of the Kirk Narduban steel, seems to suggest an earlier example using this well known pictogram, if what I am considering is correct. This does not mean that the blade has to correspond to the beginning of the Qajar dynasty (1794) as this was simply the era in which the use of this device became popular. The pictogram itself was a stylized version of the symbol long used in Iran, and may well have predated the Qajar adoption of the sun and lion. The examples of blades I have seen with this pictogram usually have multiple channels , and though heavy, do not have the sweeping radius of the shamshir form as seen here. I have considered them probably first quarter of 19th century+. Again, very nice example which may reflect earlier use of the Qajar pictogram with the Assad Allah signature, which in effect, seems to have become a kind of brand which paralleled the running wolf and name of Andrea Ferara in the European parlance. In much the same manner regarding the Andrea Ferara name, on Assad Allah, L.A. Mayer ("Islamic Armourers and Their Work", 1962, p.26), notes him as one of the finest smiths, but most elusive and mysterious. Also that no contemporary chronicle mentions him as a living being and there are no historical details about his life or work. Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 22nd November 2017 at 03:55 PM.