Golden Dots...

Rivkin · 15th June 2006, 03:09 AM

Fugh, unlike Mr. McDougall I am way too lazy to actually find quotes, but I have on my hard drive translation from atrak of a mamluk manual that insists that holes filled with gold is a mark of supreme Yemeni produced swords (??). Interestingly it is the only manual that was putting quite a big emphesis on these swords rather than hindu swords.

Gold dots actually had a very long history - don't they appear later on Timurid sword as a sign of Amir (3 dots) ? In Timurid was not it suppsed to be a alluasion to Timurid's tamga which in its turn was an old mongolic symbol that supposedly originated from heaven's representation in China ?

Interestingly I have seen gold dots even on XVIIth century iranian swords.

S.Al-Anizi · 15th June 2006, 11:57 AM

I too, though that these swords were somewhat related to high quality yemeni blades, paramount according to Al-Kindi, but still these marks are found northern arabian sabers, syrian swords, and as you say Rivkin, on Persian swords as well. They must have originated somewhere in southern arabia, and must have meant something. I still remember one day Mumtaz Baber on SFI along time ago said something that these gold filled holes signify some armoury in southern India, I cant recall what he said exactly.

Check this out:

Medieval Damascene Sword with gold filled holes

15th June 2006, 03:09 AM	#1
Rivkin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 655	Fugh, unlike Mr. McDougall I am way too lazy to actually find quotes, but I have on my hard drive translation from atrak of a mamluk manual that insists that holes filled with gold is a mark of supreme Yemeni produced swords (??). Interestingly it is the only manual that was putting quite a big emphesis on these swords rather than hindu swords. Gold dots actually had a very long history - don't they appear later on Timurid sword as a sign of Amir (3 dots) ? In Timurid was not it suppsed to be a alluasion to Timurid's tamga which in its turn was an old mongolic symbol that supposedly originated from heaven's representation in China ? Interestingly I have seen gold dots even on XVIIth century iranian swords.

15th June 2006, 11:57 AM	#2
S.Al-Anizi Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Arabia Posts: 278	I too, though that these swords were somewhat related to high quality yemeni blades, paramount according to Al-Kindi, but still these marks are found northern arabian sabers, syrian swords, and as you say Rivkin, on Persian swords as well. They must have originated somewhere in southern arabia, and must have meant something. I still remember one day Mumtaz Baber on SFI along time ago said something that these gold filled holes signify some armoury in southern India, I cant recall what he said exactly. Check this out: Medieval Damascene Sword with gold filled holes