Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Strange Shamshir in Wootz Shocker! (pictures)

RSWORD · 22nd November 2010, 02:40 AM

Gene,

Thank you for posting the additional pictures. Nice to see that the cartouche is true inlay and not koftgari. Dating shamshirs is not an exact science. Styles remained relatively unchanged for several hundred years and inscriptions such as yours, "Kalb Ali" can be found on examples from the 17th to the 19th century so you can't date it on that alone. Earlier shamshir blades tend to be thicker/heavier with less curvature. They tend to have more profile taper from hilt to tip. They were meant for business and use against armour. Later shamshir begin to have greater curvature, get lighter and thinner and at this later stage were not in use against armour. Not hard and fast rules, mind you, but generalizations. The fullering on your example is a bit unusual, the inspiration could be E Europe but also could be India as well. I think the blade could be as early as 18th century into the 19th century. The hilt and crossguard could be period or could be later replacements. Blades had long service lives so rehilts are not uncommon. You just have to make sure it wasn't done yesterday.

The watering is very nice and more typical of Persian wootz. The crossguard is Persian in style as is the handle.

22nd November 2010, 02:40 AM	#9
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,086	Gene, Thank you for posting the additional pictures. Nice to see that the cartouche is true inlay and not koftgari. Dating shamshirs is not an exact science. Styles remained relatively unchanged for several hundred years and inscriptions such as yours, "Kalb Ali" can be found on examples from the 17th to the 19th century so you can't date it on that alone. Earlier shamshir blades tend to be thicker/heavier with less curvature. They tend to have more profile taper from hilt to tip. They were meant for business and use against armour. Later shamshir begin to have greater curvature, get lighter and thinner and at this later stage were not in use against armour. Not hard and fast rules, mind you, but generalizations. The fullering on your example is a bit unusual, the inspiration could be E Europe but also could be India as well. I think the blade could be as early as 18th century into the 19th century. The hilt and crossguard could be period or could be later replacements. Blades had long service lives so rehilts are not uncommon. You just have to make sure it wasn't done yesterday. The watering is very nice and more typical of Persian wootz. The crossguard is Persian in style as is the handle.