Persian Sword and please to tell me

Yannis · 16th June 2005, 09:26 AM

Oswin

Sossun Pata is a sword from India. Exactly the type you have in the second picture that I believe is a scan from a book.

Yataghan is an Ottoman sword. It is what you have in the most pictures minus the hilt. The inscription is with Arabic alphabet that it was used in Turkey before 1920. The blade is typical yataghan blade of mid 19th century. I suppose that the person who fixed the new hilt on it had no idea how the yataghan hilt looks or he wanted to have something unique.

The third sword looks like from China or Indochina but there are more experts here to say. I hope that this helps.

tom hyle · 16th June 2005, 09:58 AM

Yeah, the third one looks Vietnamese? The coral handle is interesting. It is an unusual piece of jewelry utilizing the natural shape of the coral; thus I would not read anything ethnic into the handle shape, but would perhaps look to the bolster/ferule (which seems somewhat peculiar and yet somehow familiar) and the flowers for regional ID. I would not assume this is a rehilt if it comes from an area where this type of blade is usual.

Aqtai · 16th June 2005, 01:27 PM

I don't know, I tried looking at that writing the other way, and although it looks superficially like Arabic script (which of course is also used in Iran and Afghanistan as well as Turkey before 1920) I can't actually make out letters.

I'll show you what I mean:

I can't make out any of those letters. I wonder if it is an Indian script.

Mark · 16th June 2005, 02:19 PM

The third one is a Thai "krabi." They became popular during and after the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, of "The King and I" fame), mid-19th century, though they were probably around before then.

16th June 2005, 01:27 PM	#3
Aqtai Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Merseyside, UK Posts: 222	I don't know, I tried looking at that writing the other way, and although it looks superficially like Arabic script (which of course is also used in Iran and Afghanistan as well as Turkey before 1920) I can't actually make out letters. I'll show you what I mean: I can't make out any of those letters. I wonder if it is an Indian script. Last edited by Aqtai; 16th June 2005 at 03:36 PM.

16th June 2005, 09:26 AM	#1
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	Oswin Sossun Pata is a sword from India. Exactly the type you have in the second picture that I believe is a scan from a book. Yataghan is an Ottoman sword. It is what you have in the most pictures minus the hilt. The inscription is with Arabic alphabet that it was used in Turkey before 1920. The blade is typical yataghan blade of mid 19th century. I suppose that the person who fixed the new hilt on it had no idea how the yataghan hilt looks or he wanted to have something unique. The third sword looks like from China or Indochina but there are more experts here to say. I hope that this helps.

16th June 2005, 09:58 AM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Yeah, the third one looks Vietnamese? The coral handle is interesting. It is an unusual piece of jewelry utilizing the natural shape of the coral; thus I would not read anything ethnic into the handle shape, but would perhaps look to the bolster/ferule (which seems somewhat peculiar and yet somehow familiar) and the flowers for regional ID. I would not assume this is a rehilt if it comes from an area where this type of blade is usual.

16th June 2005, 02:19 PM	#4
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	The third one is a Thai "krabi." They became popular during and after the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV, of "The King and I" fame), mid-19th century, though they were probably around before then.