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21st April 2012, 06:54 PM | #1 | |
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Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 22nd April 2012 at 03:24 PM. |
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21st April 2012, 07:41 PM | #2 |
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Salaams all ~ Note to Forum library. The only other dagger attributed to a Yemeni style occurs on the border in Southern Oman in the Salalah region (Dhofar). It is worn almost horizontally on a leather belt frontally or just slightly to one side. The silver work is slightly more crisp looking if it has been refurbished by Omani craftsmen.
In fact no other dagger style exists in Oman other than The Omani Khanjar and this Dhofari dagger plus a few assorted work knives; Khanjar blades may be locally made or imported though work knives usually have blades from Europe or the far East ( Sheffield or Solingen or Japan). Unlike Persian or indian weapons Omani khanjars hardly, if ever, have wootz blades (I have never seen one). Preferred are steel laminates. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. |
19th May 2012, 04:43 PM | #3 |
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ACCOUTREMENTS OF THE KHANJAR; PIPE AND TOBACCO HOLDER.
Salaams all; Note to library;
The extremely rare Omani decorated pipe and tobacco container. Tobacco is grown locally in Oman and can be obtained in plastic empty water bottles in the souk! I am told it is very strong stuff. Rather an understatement as one puff is enough to knock over a horse ! The tobacco holder made from Gazelle horn and silver adorned with a variety of lucky motifs and mathematical charms, bells and trinkets and the pipe mirroring the figure 5 ~ with 5 rings on the stem. Silver representing the moon is in itself talismanic. Mastercrafted by an Omani silversmith. Usually worn looping over the belt or Khanjar. Readers will recall the other uses of Gazelle horn as gunpowder flasks and on the weavers loom to "ram" the wool. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. |
20th May 2012, 05:02 AM | #4 |
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I know almost nothing about these various daggers and had not read these posts as a result. I now know much more and recognize an excellent post with good information and questions when I read it. Its very well written and interesting even to one such as I. This is the way its done folks!! definitely a classic. knowlege well organized and written and now preserved.
I almost hate to add this post as it dosen't add to this well written post but I have even refrained from using all caps as I usualy do in respect for this excellent post. kudos!! you research and write very well. |
20th May 2012, 02:41 PM | #5 | |
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Salaams VANDOO ~ Thank you for your kind words...Yours are very supportive comments. Thanks again for taking the time to read and reply. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. |
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25th September 2012, 04:35 PM | #6 | |
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Here is another style of tobacco container; this time all silver. The second picture is the Mukhallah or Kohl (antimony paste) container and eye applicator..worn on a chain on the Khanjar or Gun belt. This one taken from the design of the 303 blackpowder Enfield bullet and case. Oddly all screw mechanisms on traditional silver worked lids are counterscrew (opposite direction to those in the west.) Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 25th September 2012 at 04:49 PM. |
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2nd November 2012, 06:38 PM | #7 |
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Salaams ~ Note to Forum. Adding to the flotilla of Omani Khanjars ~
Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Notes; 1. Number 1 was described with a woft of the hand as from the Sharqiyyah Eastern Oman probably Sennau. An unusual chequered style. 2. Number 2 is a Jebali dagger from Salalah.( a slightly mismatched dagger and scabbard.) 3. Number 3 is a 4 ringer of Baatina style with bedouin eyes below the belt section but with the Saidiyya (Al Busaidi dynasty hilt ~ the one designed by the wife of Said Sultan around 1840ish ~ Sheherezad). 4. Number 4 is a new Saidiyyah 7 ringer with gold adornment and a working dagger behind.. 5. Number 5 and 6 is completely unusual. This dagger is actually from Kassab in the Mussandam. I met the chap who made it. He copied it from one given him by his grandfather. It has the look of a Muscat Khanjar of Tee shaped hilt with what appears to be 7 rings plus a ring. It has an odd semi precious stone added. This is a very rare animal. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 2nd November 2012 at 06:58 PM. |
2nd November 2012, 09:19 PM | #8 | |
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IMHO it shows none of the usual traits of Omani origins. |
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3rd November 2012, 04:04 PM | #9 | |
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Salaams kahnjar1 ~Take a walk through the souk in Salalah and see how many Jebalis are wearing these. Its only 100 kilometres from Salalah to the Yemen border and "straddling it" are several Jebali tribes. This dagger style flows both ways. The silver work is Salalah. I spent 6 years there ... 4 of which were in the mountains and on the border. I saw lots of Jebalis wearing these ~every day. Believe me this one is a Salalah (regional ) Jebali dagger. Knowing the region I asked the shop owner where this one was from to confirm it was Dhofari not Yemeni...He said Salalah. He's "al Balooshi" as well ... and has the Mutrah shop. Separating the two forms is probably impossible without having each of the owners standing in front of you as they are virtually identical people and it would be very difficult to separate the two marks. The two forms are, thus, probably one..and though I don't have the local name to hand it wouldn't surprise me if it was similar. Origin of ethnographic species is often linked to items and it is easy to see how the run down degraded old Yemeni water works called The Mehrib Dam that finally collapsed in about the 6th Century AD brought with it through the 3rd to 6th Centuries a massive exodus from Yemen to Oman. With that must have traversed many artifact styles and probably craftsmen. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 4th November 2012 at 02:20 PM. |
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4th November 2012, 02:47 PM | #10 | |
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Salaams again on the same subject ~ Page 417 in The Craft Heritage of Oman by Neil Richardson and Marcia Dorr (An Omani Heritage Documentation Project) refers with a picture and a small description with its name Quote "The style of the Dhofara dagger (Khanjar qabiliyyah) has similarities to both the Yemeni janbiyyah and the khanjar of northern Oman".Unquote. For research purposes I add the picture below. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. |
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27th December 2012, 03:10 PM | #11 | |
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Brother Ibrahiim, you are mistaken. The 2nd pic is not a Kohl and eye applicator. It is a Dokha (Persian Tobacco) container and Omani pipe (Midhwak). I know this for a fact, from the dhow-bowsprit shape of the pipe. I used to smoke this stuff. Its very common here in the UAE, especially among the teenager groups. |
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28th December 2012, 01:35 PM | #12 | |
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Salaams TribalBlades IT FLIPPED!! Sorry Chief, the pictures raffled themselves into position so I ought to have made clear the gun cartridge from which the Kohl (antimony paste derivative) which can be either the 303 "Canad"style (SMLE Lee Enfield Birmingham .303 ) or the .303 earlier circa 1890 blackpowder round...OR the earlier shape from the Martini Henry 577 cartridge. The sharing of Kohl applicators was the major cause of conjunctivitis for many decades..before 1970. The other item is the tobacco pipe and tobacco holder. Well spotted !!! Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. |
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28th December 2012, 03:29 PM | #13 | |
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wow! i just noticed the Kohl-container is made of a cartridge! hmm . . It seems bullets cartridges have widely been put into other uses. Just the other day, I saw an old Arab Bedu man holding a walking stick, the tip of which was made of a Martini-bullet cartridge! and thanx for the info about the conjunctivitis. That is definitely something new! |
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