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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 689
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I bought recently a nice nimcha. It is a big sword: a bit more than 1 meter overall. The handle seems to be from rhino horn, decorated with silver ring with enamel. The similar in style silver and enamel detail is on the top of the handle. The guard is of interesting form and it is decorated with gold koftgary.
The blade seems to be of Europenian origin. There are North Italian blade marks (dots, eyelashes and cross between them). But I wasn’t able to find similar blade in any of my books. It seems to be older, then 19th century. Can somebody tell me the age of the blade and have somebody seen anything similar? The age of the whole sword? Its origin? There are also chiseled Arabic ornaments on the both sides of the blade. They consist of 4 different types of flowers and Arabic inscriptions. Maybe somebody can translate them (they are not very well preserved, especially on the side with blade marks). There is also an Arabic inscription on the back of the blade: the name of the master or owner? Any help will be much appreciated. |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,718
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Hi Tatyana,
It seems like an interesting nimcha you have added to your collection – congratulations ![]() Jens |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Very intriguing.
The "stumps" on the langets ( or, in this case, are they quillons? ![]() The "eyleashes with dots" were, as Jens notices, as popular in the area then as words " Made in China" are now. As a matter of fact, the contour of the blade is kind of shashka-ish. There were a lot of shashka blades from Daghestan, many with the gurda mark, in Southern Arabia toward the end of the 19th century. Etching one with more "local" decoratios was a piece of baklawa then as it is now. The bottom line, until some compassionate soul translates the inscription, you are in the datk. But then...... All will be revealed! |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,776
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What a tragedy this very nice sword has been parted from its scabbard. I wonder if this was originally a fairly basic trade blade beautified in N. Africa. Some say girls are better at fishing also
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 689
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Thank you all for your comments!
Jens, all the dots from the blade marks you may see on the picture above. There are none on the other side of the blade or in any other place. |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,718
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This means that all the dot markings are on the 'left' side of the blade - am I right?
Jens |
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