Ariel,
You make some good observations, might want to consider the following:
The Ottoman Empire was intensely multinational-- people did not refer to themselves as Turks or Arabs, they tended to be identified, but not labeled by, language and the nearest city or imposing landmark, such as a mountain or lake. As you probably know, they also lacked a surname and were known, if at all, by a clan name applied to the group, as Sa'udis still are today. Ottoman citizens generally spoke Turkish (not always fluently, but enough to communicate with the powers that be), in addition to whatever ethnic tongue they were raised with. Hence, If Abdul Karim was from Antioch, he probably was (Arabic-speaking) Arab born-- perhaps Christian, perhaps Muslim, but Arab nonetheless (the name is not unusual, it means Servant of the Generous One.) He may have been a local official, military leader or officer. He almost certainly came from a family of means.
So that to be precise, the sword under discussion can be considered Ottoman, because Antioch was (and is) under Turkish control, despite the fact that most of its inhabitants were Arabs who spoke Arabic, and had a strong material culture which differed from that of Turkic speakers. It can also be called an Arab sword for this reason, though that is rather vague. Finally, as you indicated, it probably should be called Syrian, since we know that such mountings were produced in Dimashq.
It is a sticky web to be sure, but one which is more effectively untangled by an understanding of the political-cultural interrelationships which existed in that place and time.
Ham
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