Mystery Weapons from Bulgaria

TVV · 18th May 2005, 07:07 PM

Thanks Mike for your interest, your observation about the circle and dot motif is great: it is too common to be a secure way of identifying specimens.
Erlikhan: yes, ot could be shortened, but I do not think it is likely, as the two fullers seem to converge towards the tip, and if only the tip of a bigger sword were used, then the guard would probably rule out that option as it seems an integral part of the blade. Unfortunately I do not have this qama in my collection to examine it better, but I will ask the same question to its owner.

Radu Transylvanicus · 21st May 2005, 11:46 AM

Fascinating thread, TVV and Erlikhan you brough some fascinating info, completely new to me and yes indeed many arms of our Eastearn European panoply specially in the Balkans are far too quickly identified as Ottoman Turk, when at least two thirds of the Empire was really out of Turkey and not directly and solely influenced by Istanbul's "Sublime Porte" and many weapons were based on strong local facture and design, I see also examples from Transylvania (powder flasks, saddles and scimitars) Bosnia and Croatia (daggers) Albania (daggers, pistols and muskets) Greek peninsula and its Islands (daggers and yathagans) that were catalogued simply as Ottoman, which is not wrong in many cases since the region mightve been part of the Empire but it is the complete mist and unrecognition to the nation that created them that sometimes frustrates me ...

18th May 2005, 07:07 PM	#1
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,664	Thanks Mike for your interest, your observation about the circle and dot motif is great: it is too common to be a secure way of identifying specimens. Erlikhan: yes, ot could be shortened, but I do not think it is likely, as the two fullers seem to converge towards the tip, and if only the tip of a bigger sword were used, then the guard would probably rule out that option as it seems an integral part of the blade. Unfortunately I do not have this qama in my collection to examine it better, but I will ask the same question to its owner.

21st May 2005, 11:46 AM	#2
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	Fascinating thread, TVV and Erlikhan you brough some fascinating info, completely new to me and yes indeed many arms of our Eastearn European panoply specially in the Balkans are far too quickly identified as Ottoman Turk, when at least two thirds of the Empire was really out of Turkey and not directly and solely influenced by Istanbul's "Sublime Porte" and many weapons were based on strong local facture and design, I see also examples from Transylvania (powder flasks, saddles and scimitars) Bosnia and Croatia (daggers) Albania (daggers, pistols and muskets) Greek peninsula and its Islands (daggers and yathagans) that were catalogued simply as Ottoman, which is not wrong in many cases since the region mightve been part of the Empire but it is the complete mist and unrecognition to the nation that created them that sometimes frustrates me ...