Antique Art & Weaponry, September 30th, 2023
Lot 428:
A fine representation of one of distinct swords of the Ottoman Empire most closely associated with the sword makers of Damascus, this sword does not have a specific name but is iconically associated with the Persian trade blade that it is mounted with. These trade blades are all distinguished by several design elements, but which come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The first element is the chiseled design at the base of the blade with an inscription that often reads Assadullah which is either a reference to a17th century swordsmith or a mark of the bladesmith guild that made these blades(Pinchot 2002). These blades hearkened back to earlier Safavid swords with more complex fullers and were invariably made of good quality wootz steel, such as this example. The mounts of this swords are of the Damascus armory type, and are an intermediate design between a classic Persian shamshir, Arabian peninsula saif, and Ottoman pistol gripped shamshir swords. These swords are usually distinguished by the down turned pommel, a chain cross guard, and the use of silver damascene decoration on the crossguard and the scabbard fittings. This sword retains its original scabbard and baldric as well. Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 38 1/4" Blade Length : 31 3/4". References:1. Elgood, R. (2009). The Arms of Greece. Thames and Hudson.2. Hales, R. (2013). A Lifetime Passion: Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour. 3. Pinchot, O. (2002) On the Persian Shamshir and the Signature of Assad Allah. Journal of Arms Collecting. ~~. Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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