Yemen Jambiya?

[Lew]

Steve

Those are great examples have never seen that style of banding at hilt have only seen the herring bone style. Can you post a pic with the blades showing?

Lew

[Steve]

Hi Lew,
I've attached a photo with the blades showing , but I substituted one original dagger with another silver hilted dagger. This silver hilted dagger - which is one of my favourires -also came in a small leather hand stitched scabbard from Taiz.
As you can see I clean the blades but don't have the ability or time to polish them.
Steve

[Lew]

Steve

That is a really nice bunch of jambiya you have. The silver one on the end is lovely I think it is a Mecca style variation?

Lew

[Steve]

Lew,
Yes, I also think that the silver design on top of the hilt has some Mecca imagery. The dagger is heavy, with chunky silver and has a rural feel about it.
I've attached another photo.
There are many interesting points about this group but one is the other silver hilted dagger. I have seen a few of this style around. The silver is quite thin but of high quality and wears with use very quickly. I think the dagger originated in Assir. However if you look at Elgood p.91/92 I think you can see the same dagger in the Hadramaut in 1943 and if you look at Artzi's home page the same dagger is there with a Mecca style scabbard. I think Artzi's one looks the most natural and is probably closest to it's original format. Unfortunately I can't get a clear close up to really examine the total jambiya. I have attached a small photo from the web page.

Goes to show how these daggers got around - but we are not talking about large distances in the Assir/Yemen area.

Steve

[Oriental-Arms]

Here is a photo of the Mecca style Jambiya reffered to by Steve.





The handle is silver and the pommel is supposedly a presentation of the Kaaba mosque in Mecca. I have however seen similar handles on Yemeni and Hadramout daggers as well (see my comment on the origin of styles below).

More Yemeni Jambiya daggers from our private collection below:





#1) Rhino horn handle with silver fittings
#2) Supposedly Amber handle (need to confirm it)
#3) Whole silver handle, silver scabbard.
#4) Rhino horn handle with silver fittings, silver scabbard.
#5) Rhino horn handle with pierced silver fittings.
#6) Rhino horn handle with silver fittings and colored stone also on the scabbard
#7) Cow horn with silver nails

Regarding # 5 and 7, the size, scabbard style and pierced fittings suggest an Indian origin. May be made in India for export to Arabia or for the use of local wealthy Arab.

To the origin of styles:

The attempt to identify and typify the styles of handle and scabbard to a certain area or origin is a great challenge and I hope someone will do it. Yet I am afraid that styles has been migrated during the last 200 years all over the peninsula, changed blades and scabbards so what we see today is a mix of all styles all over. Best of luck to whoever will challenge it.

[fernando]

Sorry for the intrusion
Looks like this shape is missing here
Isn't it also regularly seen?
Fernando

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[kahnjar1]

This hilt is similar to one posted by Fernando, but the scabbard is entirely different. Translation is makers name and Jeddah 1958. Comments?
Regards Stu