A Beater Sword

harrywagner · 10th March 2016, 05:58 PM

Here's one i've not seen before. It is an Indian beater Shamshir. For those that don't know, beaters had one of the worst jobs in the world. They were Indian slaves whose task it was to venture into the tall grass and jungle and attempt to flush tigers, and other dangerous animals, for their masters hunting pleasure. To assist in the flushing, and their own safety, they were given a short sword such as this. The dealer I purchased this from listed it as 19thc and provided these translations for the two Arabic quotes at the scabbard drag:

“By thanking (Allah) blessings last / remain” and “Justice is the basis of sovereignty / kingdom”.

LOA: 24.5" LOB: 19.5"

No mention of the blade being wootz, but it sure looks like it to me. I would appreciate it if a more experienced collector can confirm this. I am frequently wrong. TIA!

Harry

harrywagner · 10th March 2016, 05:59 PM

A few more photos

digenis · 10th March 2016, 06:43 PM

To me it looks like a tourist piece made mid 20th century when the "tourist piece" industry was more primitive in India and pieces had some regional, handmade or unique elements.

I am not an expert on this so I will defer to more informed opinions.

harrywagner · 10th March 2016, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digenis

To me it looks like a tourist piece made mid 20th century when the "tourist piece" industry was more primitive in India and pieces had some regional, handmade or unique elements.

I am not an expert on this so I will defer to more informed opinions.

I wondered about it being a tourist piece myself. I have been fooled before. I finally convinced myself it is real, due mostly to the wear, but I am no expert either. Hopefully someone has seen one of these before. Thanks for your comment! They all help.

Harry

ALEX · 11th March 2016, 10:40 AM

Harry, your intuition was right - a tourist piece indeed.
I do not think it is Indian, nor wootz. Likely a Levant or Egyptian relatively modern souvenir or child's toy. They are usually short and have brass cast fittings, such as on this one. the blades are often cut/shaped from sheet metal, not forged, but hard to tell by pictures.
I am fascinated by the seller's "beater sword" story and how these short swords were used to chase lions out of the bushes

Is it something that even existed?

Kubur · 11th March 2016, 10:52 AM

I confirm, Turkish tourist stuff proablably around 1920-30ties.
With figures and decorations in a so-called Qajar style, a mix of Islamic stuff...
You have also daggers and powder flasks in the same style (see previous posts).
Harry you can't win all the time! You got already a lot of cool things recently!!

Best,
Kubur

10th March 2016, 05:58 PM	#1
harrywagner Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 373	A Beater Sword Here's one i've not seen before. It is an Indian beater Shamshir. For those that don't know, beaters had one of the worst jobs in the world. They were Indian slaves whose task it was to venture into the tall grass and jungle and attempt to flush tigers, and other dangerous animals, for their masters hunting pleasure. To assist in the flushing, and their own safety, they were given a short sword such as this. The dealer I purchased this from listed it as 19thc and provided these translations for the two Arabic quotes at the scabbard drag: “By thanking (Allah) blessings last / remain” and “Justice is the basis of sovereignty / kingdom”. LOA: 24.5" LOB: 19.5" No mention of the blade being wootz, but it sure looks like it to me. I would appreciate it if a more experienced collector can confirm this. I am frequently wrong. TIA! Harry Attached Images

10th March 2016, 05:59 PM	#2
harrywagner Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 373	A few more photos Attached Images

10th March 2016, 06:43 PM	#3
digenis Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 48	To me it looks like a tourist piece made mid 20th century when the "tourist piece" industry was more primitive in India and pieces had some regional, handmade or unique elements. I am not an expert on this so I will defer to more informed opinions.

11th March 2016, 10:40 AM	#5
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Harry, your intuition was right - a tourist piece indeed. I do not think it is Indian, nor wootz. Likely a Levant or Egyptian relatively modern souvenir or child's toy. They are usually short and have brass cast fittings, such as on this one. the blades are often cut/shaped from sheet metal, not forged, but hard to tell by pictures. I am fascinated by the seller's "beater sword" story and how these short swords were used to chase lions out of the bushes Is it something that even existed?

11th March 2016, 10:52 AM	#6
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	I confirm, Turkish tourist stuff proablably around 1920-30ties. With figures and decorations in a so-called Qajar style, a mix of Islamic stuff... You have also daggers and powder flasks in the same style (see previous posts). Harry you can't win all the time! You got already a lot of cool things recently!! Best, Kubur