Omani Matchlock

[kahnjar1]

Thanks Ibrahiim. I am (I think) well aware of the value of these Matchlocks as a website was quoting prices up until recently.
I also own a nice silver and gold Talahiq as shown here.
Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Thanks Ibrahiim. I am (I think) well aware of the value of these Matchlocks as a website was quoting prices up until recently.
I also own a nice silver and gold Talahiq as shown here.
Stu

Salaams kahnjar1,
It is a most interesting item...they wore them on a leather strap(as seen also by your fine example) so they could sling them round the back of the neck whilst charging through the bushes after game...I assume the powder flask "Talaahiq" contained pan ignition grade powder and the main charge-mix plus bullets were in small containers as shown in my last post.

I show the slender style gazelle horn variant and a similar Talaahiq at my previous post and here another type more commonly seen here.

The gunpowder was traditionally concocted from sulphur mined around Jebal Hafit and the Northern coast and mixed with charcoal of the Sodoms Apple shrub that grows in Oman/Arabia..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams kahnjar1,
It is a most interesting item...they wore them on a leather strap(as seen also by your fine example) so they could sling them round the back of the neck whilst charging through the bushes after game...I assume the powder flask "Talaahiq" contained pan ignition grade powder and the main charge-mix plus bullets were in small containers as shown in my last post.

I show the slender style gazelle horn variant and a similar Talaahiq at my previous post and here another type more commonly seen here.

The gunpowder was traditionally concocted from sulphur mined around Jebal Hafit and the Northern coast and mixed with charcoal of the Sodoms Apple shrub that grows in Oman/Arabia..

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Three interesting flasks. What are they made of, and what is their origin?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Three interesting flasks. What are they made of, and what is their origin?

Salaams kahnjar1 They are wooden with brass fittings..Not exactly certain of the style possibly Indian provenance but claimed to be Omani..which probably means used extensively here...though possibly traded.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[eftihis]

Interesting info on the subject can be found here http://www.omanisilver.com/contents/en-us/d316.html

[A.alnakkas]

As for their rarity, I cannot comment really! as I do see SIMILAR ones around! but I am looking at it from the eyes of someone with zero experience with those guns.

Last long one I saw was at antique shop here, it had a broken part near the trigger but otherwise was in excellent condition... but is it abu fatila? I am not sure as I do not collect these. Will snap photos of the collections I know of though :-)

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

As for their rarity, I cannot comment really! as I do see SIMILAR ones around! but I am looking at it from the eyes of someone with zero experience with those guns.

Last long one I saw was at antique shop here, it had a broken part near the trigger but otherwise was in excellent condition... but is it abu fatila? I am not sure as I do not collect these. Will snap photos of the collections I know of though :-)

Hi Lofty,

The shape of the stock is one of the telling things about Omani Matchlocks. There is a SIMILAR matchlock attributed to Yemen, but the stock shape is different. I suspect that one who is not "into" these things, would perhaps not readily identify the difference. Bit like me who knows nothing about European Armour, trying to identify an old helmet!!
IF you can get pics of the one you have seen, that would be great.
Also with reference to the link kindly supplied by Eftihis, I note that the term "Father of the Match" once more appears in relation to the Omani Matchlock.

Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by eftihis

Interesting info on the subject can be found here http://www.omanisilver.com/contents/en-us/d316.html

Salaams eftihis~ Well spotted on the nice reference! That is a great site for most Omani antiquities.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.