Odd Sword

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by fernando

Good point!



Pity that the pictures quality is so limited .

Agreed!

[A.alnakkas]

I know the owner of this sword, he have sent me photos before and not much was found in the inscription by people whom I asked to examine. Will ask him again for clearer photos if he still owns it. Although there is nothing unusual about it, its part of a well established sword type that mainly has trade blades and Omani mounts.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

I know the owner of this sword, he have sent me photos before and not much was found in the inscription by people whom I asked to examine. Will ask him again for clearer photos if he still owns it. Although there is nothing unusual about it, its part of a well established sword type that mainly has trade blades and Omani mounts.

Nothing unusual about it? I think it is extremely unusual. The tang extension, the blade, the pommel decoration, the blade marks. In fact it is the most unusual sword I have ever seen. I doubt you know the owner but... my suspicion is that this has been sourced out of the situation in Mutrah. The claim was that this was purchased in Yemen. It may well have been and in addition it may have been altered in Mutrah. It looks Portuguese.

There are trade blades from 1970 in the world sword system which were instigated through Mutrah from Ethiopia via Sanaa...til today ~ This could be from the same source.

The straight Omani dancing bladed sword or Sayf(Saif) (not to be confused with the Old Omani Battle Sword we are discussing here) which was inspired by Said the Great in the early part of the 19th Century is essentially hugely flexible and homegrown so far as I can see; purely in Oman. It is a dancing sword/and to hail the ruler/pageantry item/sword only. Many thousand straight blades have been through the hands of the Mutrah workshops in the past 45 years and have totally confused and conned most of the international sword collectors serious and incidental... Said the Great of old would probably be laughing about that...as we do here in Oman now.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Nothing unusual about it? I think it is extremely unusual. The tang extension, the blade, the pommel decoration, the blade marks. In fact it is the most unusual sword I have ever seen. I doubt you know the owner but... my suspicion is that this has been sourced out of the situation in Mutrah. The claim was that this was purchased in Yemen. It may well have been and in addition it may have been altered in Mutrah. It looks Portuguese.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

The tang extension is an existing method for rehilting blades. The inscriptions exist on European blades which also exist in the region which part of is Oman. The sword is in the UAE as far as I know, it belongs to a prominent collection and you posted before the screenshots from the owner's instagram account. Unless sold to Oman recently. :-)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by A.alnakkas

The tang extension is an existing method for rehilting blades. The inscriptions exist on European blades which also exist in the region which part of is Oman. The sword is in the UAE as far as I know, it belongs to a prominent collection and you posted before the screenshots from the owner's instagram account. Unless sold to Oman recently. :-)

Correct about the rehilting proceedure in the specific part of Mutrah I am indicating...but you miss an important issue...These swords only began to enter the market in 1970. Before that there was no such trade. ...These Ethiopian blades have been filtered into the Mutrah SOUK/purchased from Sanaa ...rehilted to look Omani...though some have been sold on as is...and banged out to unsuspecting tourists and collectors alike.

I have one which has a very flexible blade ...equally as bendy as an Omani blade but its inscribed from hilt to tip in Ethiopian script...You are well aware that Mutrah is playing this game ... so is Forum ... Here Maude "Theres a sword ere he says is his uncles and its 1000 years old...Yes Dear he takes Visa !!...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Thanks to those who have had a go at the script so far....For anyone looking at the script it appears as A 5 1 U U A The initial and final letters are the same and seem to be in A form or rather as crown shapes. The inverted G or 5 without its top...has a meaning and a number in Hebrew ...see previous post # 29...As has the 1 and the U U and finally another A.

I suspect Hebrew as the Latin and Cyrillic do not correspond....anyone understand Hebrew please?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[A.alnakkas]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Correct about the rehilting proceedure in the specific part of Mutrah I am indicating...but you miss an important issue...These swords only began to enter the market in 1970. Before that there was no such trade. ...These Ethiopian blades have been filtered into the Mutrah SOUK/purchased from Sanaa ...rehilted to look Omani...though some have been sold on as is...and banged out to unsuspecting tourists and collectors alike.

I have one which has a very flexible blade ...equally as bendy as an Omani blade but its inscribed from hilt to tip in Ethiopian script...You are well aware that Mutrah is playing this game ... so is Forum ... Here Maude "Theres a sword ere he says is his uncles and its 1000 years old...Yes Dear he takes Visa !!...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Well aware of your hypothesis. Sadly you provided zero conclusive proof to make it even half believable.

And this is not an Ethiopian blade as Ethiopia mainly imported blades. The Ethiopians do not round the tip, but I guess you'll claim that is a Mutrah edition? makes no sense but if you insist, keep on believing that :-) anyways, will post some clearer photos from the owner's page. Atleast some reference is due.

[A.alnakkas]

Hope these are clear enough.