Yemeni/Omani Sword

Michael Blalock · 11th May 2005, 12:19 AM

I received my Omani/Yemeni sword today. As you can see from the photo the hilt is very similar in shape and size to my silver sword. The blade is shorter and very crudely forged with lots of little flaws, cracks and waves in the blade, though the blade is very sharp and has just the right amount of flex. I do not have much knowledge of blade making or iron work. There are several notches in the edge from sword play. It would be a very effective weapon. The handle appears to be made with brass sheet which I have never seen on a Yemeni or Omani Jambiya and has been filled solid with lead. This is not the case with my other sword with is hollow and delicate. It appears as though this lead was done at a later period. The scabbard has been recovered with modern fabric. It is very heavy and would make a good club. Several of you mentioned books with similar swords pictured. Could you post these so I can have a look.
Thanks

Michael

Ian · 11th May 2005, 12:23 AM

Michael: Is that you with your first edged weapon? Very cute picture.

Ian.

Michael Blalock · 11th May 2005, 12:34 AM

Yes, The dagger came first. I got that in Lebanon. My folks took it away for a couple of years after I drilled a hole in the headboard of my bed.

Rick · 11th May 2005, 01:40 AM

I'd suggest that your recently acquired sword is newer Than your first piece due to the unsophisticated forging and the shallow repousse' work .

Re, your dagger ; I had a friend in preparatory school who had a miniature metal lathe ; he made me a 2" long 18th century style brass cannon that fired #6 bird shot , 3 flakes of smokeless shotgun powder were enough to drive a shot through a 3/8" piece of wood . I used cap gun powder for the touchhole .

One day it disappeared , never to be seen again ...

Damned Grownups spoil all the fun !

Michael Blalock · 11th May 2005, 03:14 AM

My guess is the swords are of the same age. The silver sword has a Solingen trade blade. I would assume that the majority of these swords would have had localy made blades like the smaller sword.

ham · 11th May 2005, 04:51 AM

Gentlemen,

These are very rare swords indeed but they are not Omani, nor for that matter are they from anywhere in Arabia. They are from the Emirate of Bukhara in Central Asia, as a brief comparison of the repeating engraved motifs on any of the examples of bronze and silverwork from that region pictured in A SONG IN METAL, Abdullayev et al, will show. The few examples I have seen were datable to the early 19th century. There is a fine sword of this type in the Moser Collection, now part of the Berne Historical Museum in Switzerland but it (and all the rest) were taken off display a couple of years ago for some reason. There is another in the V & A pictured in Coe's SWORD AND HILT WEAPONS p. 141; it is included with a group of other swords and unhelpfully described, "Turkish and Persian weapons of the 16th-19th century" or something similar. Jarnuszkiewicz's excellent work SZABLA WSCHODNIA I JEJ TYPU NARODOWE shows the origin of this form on plate 11, a 9th century Samanid king from a fresco at Nisapur carries one extremely similar. Perhaps Pan Michal de Wolviex can post this?
Given the conservative nature of Central Asian groups-- both nomadic and sedentary-- it is not unusual that the form survived so long. One doubts nonetheless that they were ever very common; swords in Central Asia in general, except for that unpleasant late 19th century variety of Afghan saber that so clumsily sought to duplicate the fine lines of the Caucasian shashka, were relatively rare and then usually limited to Persian shamshirs, or the equally rare Bukharan sidearm which looks like an attenuated peshqabz, see Elgood ed., ISLAMIC ARMS AND ARMOUR, FLINDT, for examples.
These swords are quite rare. Congratulations on such fine acquisitions.

Sincerely,

Ham

11th May 2005, 12:19 AM	#1
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	Yemeni/Omani Sword I received my Omani/Yemeni sword today. As you can see from the photo the hilt is very similar in shape and size to my silver sword. The blade is shorter and very crudely forged with lots of little flaws, cracks and waves in the blade, though the blade is very sharp and has just the right amount of flex. I do not have much knowledge of blade making or iron work. There are several notches in the edge from sword play. It would be a very effective weapon. The handle appears to be made with brass sheet which I have never seen on a Yemeni or Omani Jambiya and has been filled solid with lead. This is not the case with my other sword with is hollow and delicate. It appears as though this lead was done at a later period. The scabbard has been recovered with modern fabric. It is very heavy and would make a good club. Several of you mentioned books with similar swords pictured. Could you post these so I can have a look. Thanks Michael Attached Images

11th May 2005, 12:23 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,194	Michael: Is that you with your first edged weapon? Very cute picture. Ian.

11th May 2005, 12:34 AM	#3
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	Yes, The dagger came first. I got that in Lebanon. My folks took it away for a couple of years after I drilled a hole in the headboard of my bed.

11th May 2005, 01:40 AM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,290	I'd suggest that your recently acquired sword is newer Than your first piece due to the unsophisticated forging and the shallow repousse' work . Re, your dagger ; I had a friend in preparatory school who had a miniature metal lathe ; he made me a 2" long 18th century style brass cannon that fired #6 bird shot , 3 flakes of smokeless shotgun powder were enough to drive a shot through a 3/8" piece of wood . I used cap gun powder for the touchhole . One day it disappeared , never to be seen again ... Damned Grownups spoil all the fun !

11th May 2005, 03:14 AM	#5
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	My guess is the swords are of the same age. The silver sword has a Solingen trade blade. I would assume that the majority of these swords would have had localy made blades like the smaller sword.

11th May 2005, 04:51 AM	#6
ham Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 190	Gentlemen, These are very rare swords indeed but they are not Omani, nor for that matter are they from anywhere in Arabia. They are from the Emirate of Bukhara in Central Asia, as a brief comparison of the repeating engraved motifs on any of the examples of bronze and silverwork from that region pictured in A SONG IN METAL, Abdullayev et al, will show. The few examples I have seen were datable to the early 19th century. There is a fine sword of this type in the Moser Collection, now part of the Berne Historical Museum in Switzerland but it (and all the rest) were taken off display a couple of years ago for some reason. There is another in the V & A pictured in Coe's SWORD AND HILT WEAPONS p. 141; it is included with a group of other swords and unhelpfully described, "Turkish and Persian weapons of the 16th-19th century" or something similar. Jarnuszkiewicz's excellent work SZABLA WSCHODNIA I JEJ TYPU NARODOWE shows the origin of this form on plate 11, a 9th century Samanid king from a fresco at Nisapur carries one extremely similar. Perhaps Pan Michal de Wolviex can post this? Given the conservative nature of Central Asian groups-- both nomadic and sedentary-- it is not unusual that the form survived so long. One doubts nonetheless that they were ever very common; swords in Central Asia in general, except for that unpleasant late 19th century variety of Afghan saber that so clumsily sought to duplicate the fine lines of the Caucasian shashka, were relatively rare and then usually limited to Persian shamshirs, or the equally rare Bukharan sidearm which looks like an attenuated peshqabz, see Elgood ed., ISLAMIC ARMS AND ARMOUR, FLINDT, for examples. These swords are quite rare. Congratulations on such fine acquisitions. Sincerely, Ham