Souks of Oman

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 3rd December 2013, 10:53 AM

Salaams all Note to Library ~Here is another variant off the same route~

This appears to be a mid to late 19th C German blade for the Ethiopian market rehilted with a Zanzibari/Yemeni style hilt (some sort of horn) and Yemeni crossguard (broken)..It has naive markings to the blade with a star similar to #8 above and a crowned Arabian head with a date and inscription under likely executed in Yemen. Floral decoration including wild animals heads and foliage dominate the blade pattern.. This is typically an Ethiopian 3 grooved (the full length) sword originally ending probably to a point but modified and with a single dot at the tip.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 5th December 2013, 04:10 PM

Salaams all... I happened to have my camera handy when I stumbled into an exhibition in the fort right next to Buraimi Souk... An old friend was there on one stall showing a few daggers... The one without the belt is not Omani but from the elusive Habaabi region of SAUDIA/YEMEN

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 6th December 2013, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams all Note to Library ~Here is another variant off the same route~

This appears to be a mid to late 19th C German blade for the Ethiopian market rehilted with a Zanzibari/Yemeni style hilt (some sort of horn) and Yemeni crossguard (broken)..It has naive markings to the blade with a star similar to #8 above and a crowned Arabian head with a date and inscription under likely executed in Yemen. Floral decoration including wild animals heads and foliage dominate the blade pattern.. This is typically an Ethiopian 3 grooved (the full length) sword originally ending probably to a point but modified and with a single dot at the tip.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salaams All Note to Library in respect of #11 I think the original set up of this hilt was with hand guard and D ring. This would place it rather more firmly in the backyard of Yemeni work..Probably Sanaa...using Ethiopian blade. Orig. German and onward via the souk interchange to Oman.
As below;

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 21st April 2014, 09:03 AM

Hello all ~ Salaams ~ Something odd has occured in the resupply procurement route of Swords and stuff into the region; The goods from Yemen and thus Ethiopia/Africa have all but stopped dead! The past month or two has seen the tap being turned off... Borders are strictly closed in terms of material moving from Yemen through the Omani souk system... The market being self correcting has turned to Persian and Indian/Pakistani goods to fill the void. It has been interesting to see how long stocks lasted from holdings of Yemeni items in Muscat souk shops... It seems like in no time at all massive stock piles of goods have literally vanished... hardly surprising when you consider the through traffic of people wandering the Muttrah souk system... litterally thousands daily...One cruise ship contains 4,000 holiday makers... and they park them 500 yards from the main souk entrance...Trade...It gets brisk !!

Buyers beware the new stuff is laden with the usual problems...but it is fascinating to see how fast the markets adapt. Thats life !!

As a strange caveat to this post.. dealers of the real Omani gear are reporting that getting the original antiques is much harder but that some souk shop owners have even released their personal stocks of long held antiquity into the system... It is an interesting time to collect...but very costly... very !

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 11th May 2014, 05:10 AM

Muttrah Souk. The entire Souk will be demolished and a new souk constructed over the old site. The program is expected to be completed in the next 2 years.
Before it disappears here are more pictures of the souk and its contents. This is the best store in the souk... the good stuff is at the back of the shop which is like Aladdins cave...

Just dropped in for tea and then lunch overlooking the harbour...Its a hard life !!

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 11th May 2014, 05:14 AM

Hooplah !!! More....but when it comes to rare...just look at the Abu Futtilah ready made up charges ! These are museum quality and absolutely dead rare items. Note the decoration on the Ivory cylinders. These would be carried on the waist belt. The owner isn't selling these...that likely means they are from his personal family collection ...and in turn that means the shop is digging deep into its private stocks of choice original items .. to give an air of antiquity to the store. This store maintains a healthy link to local specialist workshops refurbishing sword blades and daggers...An example of new work is the dagger with the white hilt Ivory ...with the big red "Yacoob" stone on the pommel top. The blade looks like part of a sword ..There are several other busted/recycled sword knives.

Also below is a rare striker and combination tool in serpentine form.
A very small 3 inches across...powder flask in brass with copper wire and a steel spring...This carried powder for the pan...not the barrel charge.
A small Yemeni or Saudia work knife scabbard (knife gone) and another complete with knife of similar providence. The long dagger is from Saudia.

Not a great deal of Yemeni work about as I was saying previously the tendency is for the gap to be filled by Persian and Indian/Afghan work and the other odd appearance of shop owners personal collection items...which is very interesting !

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 11th May 2014, 05:19 AM

My favourite(or one of them) was this curved Kattara of almost Shamshiir blade proportions...whereas "normally" Omani Kattara are fairly broad blades...This one on a finely worked hilt and scabbard. Date of rehilting ...about January 2014.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 15th May 2014, 05:17 PM

Every now and then...something quite startling appears in the souk... In this case 4 coffee pots that have not seen the light of day for a half a century...exquisite and incredibly rare Omani Coffee pots like these were once common here...and they just joined my private collection. You will recall that as a weapon of assassination how important the coffee pot was for poisoning !!

Coffee anyone?

5th December 2013, 04:10 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams all... I happened to have my camera handy when I stumbled into an exhibition in the fort right next to Buraimi Souk... An old friend was there on one stall showing a few daggers... The one without the belt is not Omani but from the elusive Habaabi region of SAUDIA/YEMEN Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Attached Images

21st April 2014, 09:03 AM	#4
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Supply Changes. Hello all ~ Salaams ~ Something odd has occured in the resupply procurement route of Swords and stuff into the region; The goods from Yemen and thus Ethiopia/Africa have all but stopped dead! The past month or two has seen the tap being turned off... Borders are strictly closed in terms of material moving from Yemen through the Omani souk system... The market being self correcting has turned to Persian and Indian/Pakistani goods to fill the void. It has been interesting to see how long stocks lasted from holdings of Yemeni items in Muscat souk shops... It seems like in no time at all massive stock piles of goods have literally vanished... hardly surprising when you consider the through traffic of people wandering the Muttrah souk system... litterally thousands daily...One cruise ship contains 4,000 holiday makers... and they park them 500 yards from the main souk entrance...Trade...It gets brisk !! Buyers beware the new stuff is laden with the usual problems...but it is fascinating to see how fast the markets adapt. Thats life !! As a strange caveat to this post.. dealers of the real Omani gear are reporting that getting the original antiques is much harder but that some souk shop owners have even released their personal stocks of long held antiquity into the system... It is an interesting time to collect...but very costly... very ! Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

11th May 2014, 05:10 AM	#5
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Muttrah Souk. The entire Souk will be demolished and a new souk constructed over the old site. The program is expected to be completed in the next 2 years. Before it disappears here are more pictures of the souk and its contents. This is the best store in the souk... the good stuff is at the back of the shop which is like Aladdins cave... Just dropped in for tea and then lunch overlooking the harbour...Its a hard life !! Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 11th May 2014 at 05:57 AM.

11th May 2014, 05:14 AM	#6
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Hooplah !!! More....but when it comes to rare...just look at the Abu Futtilah ready made up charges ! These are museum quality and absolutely dead rare items. Note the decoration on the Ivory cylinders. These would be carried on the waist belt. The owner isn't selling these...that likely means they are from his personal family collection ...and in turn that means the shop is digging deep into its private stocks of choice original items .. to give an air of antiquity to the store. This store maintains a healthy link to local specialist workshops refurbishing sword blades and daggers...An example of new work is the dagger with the white hilt Ivory ...with the big red "Yacoob" stone on the pommel top. The blade looks like part of a sword ..There are several other busted/recycled sword knives. Also below is a rare striker and combination tool in serpentine form. A very small 3 inches across...powder flask in brass with copper wire and a steel spring...This carried powder for the pan...not the barrel charge. A small Yemeni or Saudia work knife scabbard (knife gone) and another complete with knife of similar providence. The long dagger is from Saudia. Not a great deal of Yemeni work about as I was saying previously the tendency is for the gap to be filled by Persian and Indian/Afghan work and the other odd appearance of shop owners personal collection items...which is very interesting ! Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 11th May 2014 at 05:55 AM.

11th May 2014, 05:19 AM	#7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	My favourite(or one of them) was this curved Kattara of almost Shamshiir blade proportions...whereas "normally" Omani Kattara are fairly broad blades...This one on a finely worked hilt and scabbard. Date of rehilting ...about January 2014. Attached Images

3rd December 2013, 10:53 AM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams all Note to Library ~Here is another variant off the same route~ This appears to be a mid to late 19th C German blade for the Ethiopian market rehilted with a Zanzibari/Yemeni style hilt (some sort of horn) and Yemeni crossguard (broken)..It has naive markings to the blade with a star similar to #8 above and a crowned Arabian head with a date and inscription under likely executed in Yemen. Floral decoration including wild animals heads and foliage dominate the blade pattern.. This is typically an Ethiopian 3 grooved (the full length) sword originally ending probably to a point but modified and with a single dot at the tip. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi. Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 3rd December 2013 at 11:06 AM.

15th May 2014, 05:17 PM	#8
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Every now and then...something quite startling appears in the souk... In this case 4 coffee pots that have not seen the light of day for a half a century...exquisite and incredibly rare Omani Coffee pots like these were once common here...and they just joined my private collection. You will recall that as a weapon of assassination how important the coffee pot was for poisoning !! Coffee anyone? Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 15th May 2014 at 05:28 PM.