Andrew - No this is the only name I am registered in "Teresa" - sometime called Terry - as I wasn't always the most feminine of people when I was in the Forces as a Staff Sgt - something to do with being a truck driving weapons training instructor I suppose
Jim - thanks for your kind words too... Still auction has ended so I can know tell you all about the item I was trying to identify - and leave you with some pictures for someone else to use for research, and what my description ended up as - in case it helps other people in the future! If what I have said or assumed is totally wrong then please feel free to add or correct it - so that others are helped!
It was Auction number 6564908488 - It got 8 bids - ended up at £107 - don't know whether that was good or bad - most of the people bidding on it seemed to know their stuff - judging by the other things they had bought off e bay in the past - ethnic swords - daggers etc - bids from UK USA and finally a winner in Germany - for all I know some of them could be members of this forum... Still at least I started off my description by saying I hadn't a clue .....and until I had spent 6 hrs on the internet trying to find out what it was... hopefully I got fairly close!
Not a massive profit I paid £80 for it several years ago and by the time you take the e bay fees and paypal etc into consideration - maybe a break even.
Still it all helps - My boyfriend & I have have raised over £3500 for the actual materials for the project in South Africa through Fun days at work etc but all travel air fares, car hire and accomodation has to be met by ourselves - only fair really as people want to give to the actual project - not funding International air fares
... so we have been both selling bits and pieces on e bay to pay for our own expenses.
But I did buy something that all of you will laugh at - that is definitely a souvenir piece to replace my genuine one 6564013340
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...B:EOIBSA:UK:31 A Silver Omani Dagger is presentation case for £10.49 which is not a lot even for a fake, & it will look ok on the wall!
Decsription I ended up with was...
Silver metal mounted Jambiya/Sibiki Sword or Long Dagger from Yemen. Probably a Gusbi Jambiya from Hadramaut, South Yemen. Heavy silver metal scabbard, which weighs 300 grams, of top quality filigree work in the scabbard & Pommel.
This type of scabbard and similar filigree work were most probably done by Jewish Goldsmiths & Silversmiths, which were the major producers of high quality fittings for the local Jambiya’s or Sibiki’s. The blade is of the classical curved and double edge form with a central rib, 14 inches long and 2 inches wide near the pommel. Overall length is 22"and the scabbard at it's widest part is 3",
The grip and the scabbard are of similar silver work with granulation patterns, circles and triangles. The back of the pommel is engraved with Arabic inscriptions which could have been the original owners or makers name perhaps.
Condition: Minor marks on the blade, and some residue of old (not recent) “glue” or fixant where the blade was fixed to the pommel. There is no damage to the filigree work. There is one v small crack on the back of the scabbard which is only ½” long. There also appears to have been a strap or fixing towards the top of the scabbard at the back, which is no longer there. There are some minor dents and dings in the back of the scabbard but these could have been present from original manufacture. This is a very nice example of The Sibiki form of the Yemenite Jambiya, probably late 19th or early 20 Century. A real piece of silversmith’s art.
I know absolutely nothing about foreign silver or silver metal alloys so cannot comment on the grade of silver used in this item – or if indeed it is even silver.
My thanks to this board was...
"Then thanks to visiting several message boards for collectors (particularly the Ethnographic Arms & Armour Discussion board – thanks guys!) The Yemen Observer Newspaper & various dealer’s sites I found out much more information."
Pictures below - PLEASE don't tell me I have sold an outstandingly valuable piece for peanuts - or I will have to throw my teddy out of my pram and go down the garden to eat worms - after all I am a girlie
Again thanks for having such a brilliant resourse - very awe inspiring and a bit scarey that you people know SO much ...
Kind Regards
Teresa (AKA Terry)