Interesting debate but I have slighty different aproach to this. I dont really agree the cartouche is necesarilly a makers mark. Lets not forget that in many cases they are rather owners work and prefference and are or not contemporary to the birth of the saber itself. Many times the appearing name is not of the blade smith but the owner or even more strange (to an Eurocentric, at least) the name belongs to the sword itself. I dont consider a prayer cartouche to be necesarily a makers mark. Arent we rather talking about a "a la carte" or "not a la carte" technique of decoration here? The question of authenticity remains to be defined as what exactly reffered to.
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