Ibrahiim, I agree that these don't look exactly like any other hilt in Arabia, though one could argue that they are not too far from the Omani "battle sword" when it is fully dressed and the scabbards have very similar hardware. The photos I have posted above include every one of these swords I have seen. The one from Oriental-Arms may be the same as the one from Sotheby's. If not, out of seven swords, three that I know were definitely found in Yemen and the Oriental-Arms sword is described as Yemeni. That's four out of seven. As we say in the US. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
Is there any record of this style of hilt to be found anywhere else in the world besides a sword collection? If anyone has any other photos I would love to see them.
|