Hello everybody. Thank you all for your reactions. This thread has gone beyond my expectations.
A.alnakas, do you have a link to the documentary? My Arabic is limited, but would very much like to see it.
Knonckew, I would like to make a guess about your shibriya. It is unusual and as I see it, it is a hybrid type. The blade and pommel shape are certainly shibriya, but some details like the workmanship on the blade, the high quality black (buffalo?) horn, the two protruding central bolsters, but most of all, the stamped leather scabbard all point to Kurdish type dagger. Because the territories of the Bedouins and the Kurds meet somewhere in the northern Syrian desert (very bad place to be at the moment) I would place it around there.
Harrywagner, your shibriya is BEAUTIFUL and rare. It is certainly an older example from the 20's or 30's. The craftsmanship is much better than in mine. What did Artzi say about it when you bought it?
Yes, shibriyas are still made today around Amman and are still part of the formal dress of some units of the Jordanian army-recent examples are not as nice and usually very small. The more "standard" types from the 40's-60's look like the photos. I hope Artzi wouldn't mind that I borrowed some from his site..
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