Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ariel · 17th January 2006, 01:17 AM

Some time ago, Rivkin commented on the power of "nationalistic sentiment" as a determinant of the value and desirability of swords.
Here is an example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VERY-OLD-RUSSIAN...QQcmdZViewItem
Yes, this is a karabela, and it commanded a very high price despite being very simple. But, would one pay $4500 for the same sword with an Indo-Persian (Tulwar) or Shamshir-type handle? And this is the only feature that distinguishes it!
We usually associate karabelas with Poland but, IMHO, this one is not: the flattened quillons suggest Balkan origin.

17th January 2006, 01:17 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Karabela or not? Some time ago, Rivkin commented on the power of "nationalistic sentiment" as a determinant of the value and desirability of swords. Here is an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/VERY-OLD-RUSSIAN...QQcmdZViewItem Yes, this is a karabela, and it commanded a very high price despite being very simple. But, would one pay $4500 for the same sword with an Indo-Persian (Tulwar) or Shamshir-type handle? And this is the only feature that distinguishes it! We usually associate karabelas with Poland but, IMHO, this one is not: the flattened quillons suggest Balkan origin.