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Originally Posted by William Fox
Dear members,
This is my first post on this forum. I have been collecting antique edged weapons for many years, since I was twelve, I'm now 36.
Years ago I started collecting German pattern welded damascus swords, mostly 19th and early 20th century vintage, and became fascinated with the art of European 'Damascus' blades. Inevitably I tried to find out what real damascus blades were all about, and I began to study Persian sword making and wootz steel. I spent time looking at examples in museums and books, and finally, very recently, I have purchased an example of a wootz steel Persian shamshir. The grip seems to be in bad shape, with signs of old repairs, but the blade looks pretty good.
The blade has two cartouches, with some other writing. I asked a friend in the Middle East if he could help me translate them, but although he is a calligrapher, he is not expert in Persian / Farsi. He thinks that one cartouche says: 'made by Zaman Esfahani'.
Can anyone help me with translating what is written on this blade, and also tell me anything about its age and who Zaman was.
Many thanks in advance for any advice!
Kind regards
Will
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Salaams William Fox, This is a great sword from the stable of...as you say Zaman Isfahan...and I discovered another write up indicating its provenance using a similar sword which I have recomposed and redrawn viz;
Quote"With octagonal grips covered in black shagreen leather, steel pommel and guard of characteristic form. The blade Shamshir (lions tail), forged of wootz steel and inlaid at the forte, VICTORY FROM GOD AND CONQUEST NIGH, together with a baduh or magic square, and a polylobate cartouche containing the maker?s name, WORK OF ZAMAN ISFAHANI, a well-known smith
said to have been a student of Assad Allah. Mid-18th century".Unquote.
There is further detail on another website by the world renowned Oliver Pinochet of Imperial Auctions and this Forum where the discussion as to true signatures including Zaman Isfahan exist and the variables concerning their authenticity... and indeed if there was a sword maker called assad - allah Please see~
http://auctionsimperial.com/om-the-p...f-assad-allah/
Indeeed it would not be the first time that a spurious name appeared and went on for several centuries for example ANDREA FERRERA...and in its many spellings. It would be interesting to discover if Zaman Isfahan was simply an extension of the expertise of one such sword making school/workshop (Assad - Allah) so that the tradition of
the name on a sword was simply extended in time.
In fact looking at
http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/shamshir/ this on Forum, by Lee Jones, whose detail indicates that the sword can be clearly compared. Note that the life span of the sword maker, Assad - Allah, would have needed to be in excess of 500 years !!
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.