Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Oriental-Arms · 11th May 2005, 03:52 PM

Hi all

Very interesting observations indeed but I must say I do not agree with the Bukhara attribution. In my humble opinion both are Yemeni swords. This type of sword is rather old. They were common in Yemen in the 16 to the late 18 or early 19 C. at the most and disappeared or better replaced with the Nimcha style Saif. At the mid to late 19 C. Several similar exemplars are on exhibit in the main museum of San’a’. I have not been there myself but I have good evidence from very knowledgeable colleague who visited San’a’ and examined these swords in person. The original scabbards for these type of swords usually includes a silver strip spirally bound on it. A very similar spiral binding is also common on Bukhara swords as well as other oriental swords.

From the two swords we have here, I think that the brass handled one is older, probably 18 C., with a later replaced crudely made blade. The silver handled one is later, with a 19 C. Solingen (?) made, trade blade.

Recently, similar newly made swords start to appears in the bazaars of San’a’ for the tourist market. I have somewhere in my articles drawer a copy of an tourists magazine advertising visits to Yemen, with several beautiful photos of a souvenir shop in the market, full of similar newly made swords. I hope I can find it some day and post it here.

11th May 2005, 03:52 PM	#9
Oriental-Arms Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Haifa, Israel Posts: 183	Bukhara ??? Hi all Very interesting observations indeed but I must say I do not agree with the Bukhara attribution. In my humble opinion both are Yemeni swords. This type of sword is rather old. They were common in Yemen in the 16 to the late 18 or early 19 C. at the most and disappeared or better replaced with the Nimcha style Saif. At the mid to late 19 C. Several similar exemplars are on exhibit in the main museum of San’a’. I have not been there myself but I have good evidence from very knowledgeable colleague who visited San’a’ and examined these swords in person. The original scabbards for these type of swords usually includes a silver strip spirally bound on it. A very similar spiral binding is also common on Bukhara swords as well as other oriental swords. From the two swords we have here, I think that the brass handled one is older, probably 18 C., with a later replaced crudely made blade. The silver handled one is later, with a 19 C. Solingen (?) made, trade blade. Recently, similar newly made swords start to appears in the bazaars of San’a’ for the tourist market. I have somewhere in my articles drawer a copy of an tourists magazine advertising visits to Yemen, with several beautiful photos of a souvenir shop in the market, full of similar newly made swords. I hope I can find it some day and post it here.