Ottoman 19th century, seeking help with identification

johnny_Gat32 · Today, 06:40 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm an enthusiast of ethnic and antique arms from Latin America, and I recently acquired this Ottoman yatagan which I've been researching. I'd love to share what I've found so far and ask for your help to go further.
What I know:

The blade bears silver koftgari decoration with two cartouches of Ottoman Arabic inscriptions. With the help of AI tools I was able to read:

Tawakkaltu 'alā Allāh — "In God I have placed my trust"
Māshā'Allāh · Sāhib Hüseyin — "What God wills · The owner is Hüseyin"

The date 1274 H (1857/1858 AD) appears engraved after the inscription, following the horror vacui tradition.

The handle is bone with a characteristic kulak (ear-shaped) pommel. The bolster is copper with tulip-shaped carnelian inlays, all intact.
The opposite face of the blade carries a circular geometric maker's mark which I have not been able to identify yet.

My question: Based on the blade style, the kulak pommel and the maker's mark, would you say this is Balkan production — possibly Prizren (Kosovo)? Any help identifying the maker's mark would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and knowledge.

Sajen · Today, 08:27 PM

Welcome to the forum Johnny!

Yatagans are not something I am knowledgeable about but what I can say is that I am nearly sure the handle scales are not from bone but from walrus ivory!

And I guess that your nice sword comes from Bosnia instead of Kosovo but this is just a guess. We have a lot of people here who will be able to tell you much more than I am!

Regards,
Detlef

Today, 06:40 PM	#1
johnny_Gat32 Member Join Date: May 2026 Posts: 1	Ottoman 19th century, seeking help with identification Hello everyone, I'm an enthusiast of ethnic and antique arms from Latin America, and I recently acquired this Ottoman yatagan which I've been researching. I'd love to share what I've found so far and ask for your help to go further. What I know: The blade bears silver koftgari decoration with two cartouches of Ottoman Arabic inscriptions. With the help of AI tools I was able to read: Tawakkaltu 'alā Allāh — "In God I have placed my trust" Māshā'Allāh · Sāhib Hüseyin — "What God wills · The owner is Hüseyin" The date 1274 H (1857/1858 AD) appears engraved after the inscription, following the horror vacui tradition. The handle is bone with a characteristic kulak (ear-shaped) pommel. The bolster is copper with tulip-shaped carnelian inlays, all intact. The opposite face of the blade carries a circular geometric maker's mark which I have not been able to identify yet. My question: Based on the blade style, the kulak pommel and the maker's mark, would you say this is Balkan production — possibly Prizren (Kosovo)? Any help identifying the maker's mark would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time and knowledge. Attached Images

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Today, 08:27 PM	#2
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,783	Welcome to the forum Johnny! Yatagans are not something I am knowledgeable about but what I can say is that I am nearly sure the handle scales are not from bone but from walrus ivory! And I guess that your nice sword comes from Bosnia instead of Kosovo but this is just a guess. We have a lot of people here who will be able to tell you much more than I am! Regards, Detlef