JAMBIYA for COMMENT (Thankyou Santa)
 

I have decided to post this on a thread of it's own for comment. I believe this to be Hadhramauti in origin (south coast area of arabia), and appears to be of the so called "Tribal type". The coins are silver Indian 1/4 Rupees and the latest date on any of them is 1918. I would guess that the Jambiya is from around 1940s -1950s.
Both Gene and Gavin have replied in the previous post, and what I had hoped was a Rhino hilt, is not. :( Thanks for your comments Gentlemen.
The blade is not, as has been suggested of Indian manufacture, but is a standard blade as found on other arabian Jambiya. No cleaning has been done on the blade, and it has only been coated with rustkill at this stage.
Regards Stu

Hey Stu,

I find it very lovely! congrats :-) Dont worry that its not rhino, its still a very good horn that I found often on Yemeni items more then anything else. My yemeni sword has a very similar one but with a different colour.

The silver fitting is nice, cant remember seeing coins on the scabbard before which makes it unique. The blade is certainly of better quality then the usual 2 sheet modern blades.

Hi Lofty,
Thanks for you nice comment. The blade is definately not 2 piece, but of solid construction. Steel appears of better quality than later jambiya examples.
Steve has emailed me and agrees this is from the south coast of Arabia between Yemen and Oman, which of course puts it within easy reach of Indian traders, hence the coins. He describes it as "Bedouin style".
Stu

Hey Stu,

I just remembered. There is a type of sword scabbard decoration that involves a similar method. Silver fittings with coins in it. There is one in Tirri's book at page 99!

Yes it looks to be a similar idea. The sword shown is I think Yemeni so both from southern Arabia area.

Salaams,

I'm not sure where you mean however I assume you refer to the coastal belt of Yemen before it becomes Oman?...since between Yemen and Oman does not exist :D The weapon is not one from Salalah..In the Dhofar region (Salalah and its environs) either an Omani Khanjar is worn or occasionally there is the 7 ring variant khanjar from Saudia ("Habaabi") style or like the one shown below tucked in at the side..
Having said that being a border environment it does not preclude the odd Yemeni person from turning up in Yemeni regalia.

What I mean is that your weapon is Yemeni not Omani...

I agree that trade with India is likely on the coast of Yemen and I know there are a lot of artefacts in the Yemeni Souks from Indian trade influence.. for example the Mandoos or marriage box specific to the Malibari coast of India is a dowry chest most favoured by the Yemeni people..

I am certain that there are loads of old Indian coins in the souks...As a cautionary note the UAE Souks are awash with Indian work and it is not unusual to find workshop production quantities of such fake daggers filtering in through there. This is only a cautionary note and unrelated to the dagger in hand which is obviously genuine...so if you want the real McCoy :D you know where to source it :shrug:

Picture Below. I have added a dagger style which in fact does transcend borders in this case a Yemeni dagger but silvered up in Oman and worn and favoured by Jebali tribesmen in Southern Oman (Dhofar)



Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salam Ibrahim,

I am not sure I fully understand the latter part of your post. But I disagree and do not think that the dagger you have linked is an indian fake/work. Similar daggers (generally with light/dark brown scabbards) are made in south KSA.

Salaams A.alnakkas ~ I did not say it was a fake I said there were many fakes going through the UAE souks from India and I add actually knocked up in backyards in Sharjah.. (As a cautionary note the UAE Souks are awash with Indian work and it is not unusual to find workshop production quantities of such fake daggers filtering in through there) I hope this is clear? :shrug:

Regards Ibrahiim al Balooshi..

Salaams Ibrahiim, Bad description on my part as I am well aware that Yemen and Oman border eachother. The comment was purely stating that this is not from the Hadhramaut interior, but from the coastal regions. I have not anywhere suggested that this Jambiya came from Oman.
As to the comment about fakes---I do not see what this has to do with the present thread, as this is definately GENUINE.
I do realise that there are those who are turning out modern copies of Jambiya, some very good ones, but these at best are only replicas, and at worst, fakes designed to trap unwary buyers. :mad: :mad:
Lets get back to the subject in hand :)

Salam,

Alright. The problem is that you spoke about fakes, but added a picture of an authentic modern jambiya that has no connection to the topic. I got confused obviously :-)

Salaams ~ I put the confusion down to being on the broader part of the planet so that we spin more slowly than the rest :D Ibrahiim

Salaams A.alnakkas ~Good point well illustrated ! Well spotted !! Shukran I have modified the letter to encompass the detail I missed out ...

Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salaams kahnjar1~ My letter was unfinished so Ive modified it... Good point . I think the hilt is bull horn which is still very acceptable. Unless it is one of the light jades/onyx?... Either way it looks ok. Salalah or Dhofar rather is a fantastic region and I lived there for 6 years mostly in the mountains.. It is quite unlike anywhere else on the Peninsular and carries with it an incredible history and artefacts not to mention the amazing Jebali people themselves who can look pretty daunting dressed only in a loin cloth armed to the teeth and dyed from head to foot in deep purple !

To assist your understanding of Oman I can most highly recommend the quite brilliant book in two volumes;

The Craft Heritage of Oman by Richardson and Dorr published by Motivate Publishing. ISBN 1 86063 158 4

and whilst there is no substitute for living here ~ this incredible publication puts you firmly in the ballpark. I say that not only because about 10 years ago the authors were here photographing artefacts in my fathers shop (Murad al Balooshi) and several pictures star in its volumes...but also in its quality of pictures and definitions.

This is a museum quality research document.

Each volume opens with a quite astonishing large format picture of Hirz ~ They must have selected from hundreds of these and popped up only the finest examples, setting the books standard throughout ~heres one below ~

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

....interesting but the subject here is the Jambiya. The jewellery is covered in a seperate thread....not this one.

I can not thank you enough for sharing Ibrahiim, it is an outstanding looking reference book, even at the high price it seems like a treasure trove of information and well worth it.

Best

Gavin

Salaams I am illustrating a book and attaching it so that
the Forum may be better informed... no? :D


If during research people can view the decoration on silver Arab jewelery with an open mind they may suddenly realise what is the importance of unrelated objects such as textiles, rugs, tribal jewelery etc to Arab weapons design... :shrug:

Some people get so good at this they can pinpoint an actual maker or a region from which a design originates. On the other hand the less well informed may simply wish to view an object in a goldfish bowl of isolated exclusion but Forum quality demands the former study and we all strive for that... :shrug:

An old school motto springs to mind "e ferro ferrum et temperatum" and as we are all learners it translates nicely as ~ From out of Iron.. Commeth Steel ~ :p

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salaams Gavin,
I have a truckload of books but the one which is open every day is that one. It has a hefty ticket and is only in English but it is a supperb research tool and without it I would imagine people being rather in the dark.
Shukran ..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.