new addition, origin is confusing

erlikhan · 4th May 2007, 01:31 PM

mavi1970,these were mass produced in the 2nd half of the 19th c. in Turkey. You can find better or worse quality samples (compared by the materials used, like ordinary horn or rhino grip, nicely worked silver or just white metal mountings etc.). You can find a lot of white metal mountings as spare part in antique shops. So we can get clue that they were produced in large numbers, not by private orders but state contract. However, some officers later personally ordered masters gold or silver koftgari decorations perhaps, as some blades have such inscriptions.

mavi1970 · 4th May 2007, 01:50 PM

erlikan,
are these swords readily found these days? or rare, i havent seen many available.

erlikhan · 4th May 2007, 02:05 PM

Well, not as many as Ottoman ordinary officer swords but to find one is not difficult for sure. And, they dont have only star. They always have both crescent and the star, 8 or 5 pointed, depending upon the period. Yours has star only. The crescent has fallen perhaps?? (They do often).

4th May 2007, 01:31 PM	#1
erlikhan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Istanbul Posts: 452	mavi1970,these were mass produced in the 2nd half of the 19th c. in Turkey. You can find better or worse quality samples (compared by the materials used, like ordinary horn or rhino grip, nicely worked silver or just white metal mountings etc.). You can find a lot of white metal mountings as spare part in antique shops. So we can get clue that they were produced in large numbers, not by private orders but state contract. However, some officers later personally ordered masters gold or silver koftgari decorations perhaps, as some blades have such inscriptions.

4th May 2007, 01:50 PM	#2
mavi1970 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada Posts: 90	erlikan, are these swords readily found these days? or rare, i havent seen many available.

4th May 2007, 02:05 PM	#3
erlikhan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Istanbul Posts: 452	Well, not as many as Ottoman ordinary officer swords but to find one is not difficult for sure. And, they dont have only star. They always have both crescent and the star, 8 or 5 pointed, depending upon the period. Yours has star only. The crescent has fallen perhaps?? (They do often).