The Omani Khanjar

[Battara]

Just for clarification, you mean the silver parts are made of sheet silver, not silver plate over another metal, right?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

SEE #5 . In the usual case in Oman silver thread is woven in a pattern and affixed to the base material which is a wooden core covered in leather. Occasionally part or all of the scabbard below the belt rings may be made of sheet of varying thickness..#1 also displays some sheet work. This Khanjar in post here has quite thick sheet with a pattern hammered in. It is quite unusual but can happen and as noted this weapon seems off the periphery probably UAE and with a Yemeni hilt from an old Jambia.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

This example suggests a Giraffe horn hilt (Zraff Hindi) and the maker from Nizwa... This is a Nizwaani Khanjar. (of Nizwa)
I was quite interested in this because of the two old floral studs on the hilt and the big work knife tucked behind with a striking pattern not seen before; on the handle. the two miniature shields over the outer rings are said to be of the Nizwa type but not all and many other makers copy this throughout Oman.. called the same as the Omani battleshield; Terrs. For other part names see # 218.

The pins holding on the two button shaped discs at the Hilt would drive me mad however. (I think they are iron nails!)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

it is a while since this style has been looked at.. A meaty hilt in Sandalwood on a Dhaakiliyya khanjar (Interior) identified by the large amount of leather showing below the belt section. Sandalwood is a scented hardwood and takes quite closely packed silver pins nicely without splitting. In this case the belt is original to the khanjar with quite unusual decorated tiny terrs shields above the outer rings and a fairly unusual pattern on the lower scabbard. The silverwork above the rings reminds me of the Royal Khanjar style. As does the delicate work on the Qoba'a

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

This Omani Khanjar has a hilt of giraffe horn the Omani people call ZRAF HINDI but as we now know its the African Giraffe..somehow lost or muddled in the translation... I prefer this type of decorated pin on a floral design which is of gold wash on silver; much of it rubbed off by now..

NOTE the miniature stack of silver cannon balls on the end of the scabbard(Qooba) do not represent cannonballs but reflect the abundant wild Mulberry bushes fruit in Oman. they appear on Omani silver jewelry and nearly always on Omani Khanjar scabbards.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

In Oman the silversmith has three sources of top quality silver with which to make Khanjars.
1. Silver ingots imported from China. The Omani mine at Sohar (MEGAN)also produces silver Ingots as a bi product of its copper mining.
2. Scrap silver ( when a lady dies it is usual for her dowry silver to be sold back to the silver smith and melted for essentially the next requirement for a silver Dowry.
3. Maria Theresa Thalers. She was ruler of Austria and Spain and her coins are commemorative dated 1780 when she died and continue to be highly respected for silver content even today. see below and also note the website among many with additional detail on this coinage> http://www.theresia.name/en/

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

The Brother to # 251

DAVID E. AT# 251 posted an interesting Omani Khanjar and just today I received one so similar to it and confirmed as also from Nizwa that it must be from the same workshop. The weapon I show has a confirmed zraf hindi (African horn hilt) in rounded top form and the plate below the hilt is identical but inverted compared to its brother although the stitching directly below the rings on both examples is the same ..
see below