Eastern Arms in Armeria Reale di Torino

Aqtai · 21st June 2005, 09:41 AM

Thanks B.I., much appreciated.

Lovely piece of armour with some interesting features. The small plates on the shoulders, laminated vambraces (similar to the ones on the complete Turkish armour in the Metropolitan), rather than the more usual bazu bands, and laminated lower leg defences as well, the word 'greave' just doesn't seem right somehow. I'm guessing from the style of the helmet that the armour is Ottoman?

M. Carter, I've just had a look at the sword you were referring to. Very similar, although not identical. It does have downward curved quillons and a simurgh on the upper part of the blade. The Topqapi sword is one of the "Blessed swords", the holy relics attributed to the Prophet and his companions. I think that unless the sword was redecorated later, the style of the inlay sort of rules out a date that early.

The sword in plate 21 of ISAS is also similar, I'm almost wondering if B.I.'s sword from the Armeria Reale and the 2 in the Topkapi are a particular sub-type of Islamic sword...

B.I., since this is your thread, is it OK if I post scans of the Topkapi swords for comparison? Also is there a date and provenance on the straight sword with the gold inlay?

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21st June 2005, 09:41 AM	#15
Aqtai Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Merseyside, UK Posts: 222	Thanks B.I., much appreciated. Lovely piece of armour with some interesting features. The small plates on the shoulders, laminated vambraces (similar to the ones on the complete Turkish armour in the Metropolitan), rather than the more usual bazu bands, and laminated lower leg defences as well, the word 'greave' just doesn't seem right somehow. I'm guessing from the style of the helmet that the armour is Ottoman? M. Carter, I've just had a look at the sword you were referring to. Very similar, although not identical. It does have downward curved quillons and a simurgh on the upper part of the blade. The Topqapi sword is one of the "Blessed swords", the holy relics attributed to the Prophet and his companions. I think that unless the sword was redecorated later, the style of the inlay sort of rules out a date that early. The sword in plate 21 of ISAS is also similar, I'm almost wondering if B.I.'s sword from the Armeria Reale and the 2 in the Topkapi are a particular sub-type of Islamic sword... B.I., since this is your thread, is it OK if I post scans of the Topkapi swords for comparison? Also is there a date and provenance on the straight sword with the gold inlay?