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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Hello,
I'd like to share this old shamshir, maybe persian ? It was all rusty and hilt was damaged... |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Then I cleaned and sand it gently
( I got time with coronavirus... at least one good thing with this problem !) Was sols as wood handle, it is horn and the blade seems not that bad ! a 19th persian shamshir ? |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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before cleaning...
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,063
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It looks like you got a goodun there.
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Hello,
Thank you David!! I like when old forgotten stuff revive again !! ( I think it's the same for all members on this forum ! ![]() Finally I think that's the handle is the most interesting piece : Nice translucence, Giraffe or maybe rhino !?! |
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#6 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,186
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Nice job. Yes the hilt could be rhino horn.
Have you etched the blade yet? |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Hello and Thank you,
No I haven't etched it, I have no more ferric chloride ( and no nital here...) I cleaned the blade with sand paper WD-40 and vinegar alternately , maybe there is a pattern, maybe a structure on the guard too sure I have to try... |
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#8 | |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,145
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If I put a torch behind by ears for sure they will be red. But my ears are not rhino... ![]() |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Sure !
But I don't think your ears are brown when not enlightened and hope for you they are not thick and hard and fibrous as wood ... ![]() I have other brown horn hilts and no light at all |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Russia
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Thank you for taking a photo backlit. Now the structure of the horn shows that this is not a rhino ...
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 310
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#12 | |
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,145
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#13 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Francantolin:
You got an honest old munition grade shamshir. I like those. Whether it was made in Persia proper, or in one of the "persianized" localities is and will remain unknown, but the overall gestalt is no doubt Persian. Not every Persian or any other fighter was wealthy enough to afford a walrus handle. This is why we see a lot of Persian shamshirs utilizing cheaper handle materials such as oxhorn, deer antler and even wood. From the practical point of view it did not matter: the proof was in the blade, although even those were of a widely different quality. It is just like with all other antique objects: museums tend to collect and exhibit flashier examples in a perfect state of preservation: rich materials, weapons belonging to royalty, signed by famous masters etc. Simpler examples were lost, reforged, modified, or just rusted away. The al-Sabah collection in Kuwait specifically acquires only items that are gem-encrusted, gilt or made of exotic and costly materials. If we use it as as a representative source and a standard, all other Indian weapons would be regarded as renovated or just plain fakes. |
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#14 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,042
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#15 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Hello everybody,
Here some pictures of the hilt with / without backlit, I think too ( thank you Ariel for your comment !) that it was an old fighting weapon and not a ''court sword''. ( is it pre-19th century ??) First I thought it was made of wood as told the seller or horn, when I cleaned it and the surface make me think more of ? don't really know?? : Ibex or deer horn antler and time and special treatments ... Then trying with torch light, the translucence directed me to giraffe horn or rhino as often discussed on the forum... The red light effect is amazing ! ( rhino, giraffe or not ) Hope these pictures can help to fix it. What do you think ? |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
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And two more ''back light pictures'',
taken with another cellphone and his ''targeted'' torch. Better... |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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the other side of the shamshir hilt...
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#18 | |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Russia
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I think this is the 19th century (most likely the second half). The fact is that very few 18th century shamshirs are in private collections. Now about the handle of a shamshir. The handle is made of a cow horn or buffalo horn. This is normal for that time. A handle from a rhino horn would not be made with such a simple blade and crossguard. |
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#19 | |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,903
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Last but not least, I believe the blade is in quite poor condition and because of that, we cannot correctly assess its quality. After proper maintenance it can be revealed to be a mundane monosteel blade or a beautiful wootz one. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Russia, Moscow
Posts: 368
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I think it could be a ram horn. Before they knew how to straighten him and did not spare time for this.
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#21 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Hello, thank you all for your comments !
I don't think it's rhino but not convinced by the ''cow-buffalo horn'' too ! Just for discuss, For the fighter sword and basic hilt argument who can not have rhino or giraffe, I just wonder about ''basics'' gurade swords with rhino hilts per example or some simple not ornamented old oriental daggers made with rhino , for the ''non slippery '' particularity more than for the prestige ! ( They were rare but chinese made it more exceptionals these last decades no ? ) For the prestigious sword mounted with rhino more than horn argument, I just wanted to show you these pictures of an old shamshir -kilij sold in an auction, reaaaally expensive ! sold as rhino hilted , ( they are scales and not really straight lines is it ''just'' blond horn ? ) Kind regards |
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#22 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 845
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Sure, I have to try to etch it in the right way and with the right stuff when I can... |
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#23 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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The handle is old and worn. God only knows what kind of degrading changes it might have undergone. My guess of cattle horn is based mainly on the presence of layers of separation. Rhinos usually do not have it, cattle often does.
I can only second a recommendation for etching. Overall, I am somewhat pessimistic about the possibility of a precise dating. But in any case, it is certain that you got yourself an old Persian-style Shamshir belonging to a fighting man. For me, with my tastes and criteria of worthiness and attractiveness, it would be more than enough. |
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