Jafle jambiya
 

Greetings

A Jafle jambiya from the Hadhramaut region, good solid blade, handle is horn and silver. Scabbard wood covered with leather.
Comments welcome.

Regards
Marc

Stephen Gracie: “JAMBIYA DAGGERS FROM THE ANCIENT SOUKS OF YEMEN” Second addition page 134

To begin the journey into Yemeni Daggers this is perhaps a great place for beginners to start. One of the best publications is The book noted above. The great silvermakers of Yemen were the Yemeni Jewish people who have all now left and are in Israel...After they all left the quality of Yemeni Daggers dropped considerably thus the best items now only exist in museums or private collections. Generally the vast ammount of cheaper types have flooded the souks of the region and beyond although there are a number of variants worth looking at but no real bargains. However, this is a good place to begin.
Peter Hudson.

Hello Peter

Stephen Gracie's book is indeed an important reference work for those interested in these objects. But the objects in books are usually of top quality and, as you might imagine, come from museums and top collections. A quality that is unattainable for many collectors. The difficulty is often buying the 'correct' ethnographic pieces of lower quality without feedback/books. That is why this forum is so important, objects of all qualities are shown and discussed. I have been collecting objects from Africa for 30 years, mainly weapons/metal. The books about these objects are often the only source for a collector. Through my work (blacksmithing) I have been fortunate to get to know a number of collectors for whom I have made stands. In this way you broaden your horizons through the objects and the conversations you have and this forum is a valuable addition.
Kind regards
Marc

Yes I have to agree. The peculiar aspect in dealing with the Yemeni weaponry is that all the experts have left...in fact all the Jewish people have gone to Israel...None of the silver and gold craftsmen are left. . Yemeni work was left to Yemeni craftsmen who had little idea of the complexity nor the quality of the Jewish masters...and the Jewish masters had little time or inclination to pass on all they knew...understandably.
The Gracie book is brilliant and fits in where the Jewish masters left...albeit only with this excellent book... very little else exists on the subject...Not only weapory suffered but all the crafts including Islamic Jewellery ....There is very little left anywhere in Yemen of what was once a superb craftsmanship..... It died. I know of no other region where such a tragedy has occured...
Peter Hudson.