Mystery dagger

motan · 28th July 2019, 03:03 PM

Some of you may have seen it because I have asked around privately.
This is a small dagger, 25cm I bought as "Iraqi Shibriya, Late 19th century".
Unfortunately no scabbard. What puzzles me is that I have never seen any similar piece before. The decoration and construction look Arabian to me, but the bulge with grooves in the hilt is an Iraqi/Syrian feature. The general shape has vague similarity to Marsh Arab daggers. The blade may be wootz and looks like it is reused, but I am reluctant to etch it. Any thought are welcome.

28th July 2019, 03:03 PM	#1
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Mystery dagger Some of you may have seen it because I have asked around privately. This is a small dagger, 25cm I bought as "Iraqi Shibriya, Late 19th century". Unfortunately no scabbard. What puzzles me is that I have never seen any similar piece before. The decoration and construction look Arabian to me, but the bulge with grooves in the hilt is an Iraqi/Syrian feature. The general shape has vague similarity to Marsh Arab daggers. The blade may be wootz and looks like it is reused, but I am reluctant to etch it. Any thought are welcome. Attached Images