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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 692
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Dear Friends.
Here is a karabela aquired by a friend. What do you think about it? It seems a hungarrian or polish to me, not islamic. ![]() |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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The only " european" feature that I am able to tentatively discern here is the broad fuller, and even that is questionable.
Karabelas were popular in Europe from Croatia to Poland, down to the Ukraine and Russia. They all share the commonality of the Ottoman origin, but their insane popularity in the anti-Ottoman camp ( see above) made the European examples numerically more abundant than their Turkish " parent". Thus, statistically, I agree with you: much more likely to be Central/Easter European than Turkish. But.... they all look the same, with the exception of blades and decorations, and even that is difficult ( at least for me) to be certain about.... Perhaps, the place of acquisition can give the strongest hint. Beautiful sabers...... Would love to have one.... |
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#3 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,885
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Your friend is a lucky guy Valjhun! This appears to be a good 18th century example of a Polish karabela. The Islamic appearance would be well placed as these sabres evolved from the Siege of Vienna in 1683 where sabres of this form apparently were captured from Turks. The origin of the term has long been debated and one of the more plausible theories claims it derives from Kerbala in Western Turkey.
These became extremely popular with Polish troops and well known in events toward Polish independence in the late 18th century, later revived in the 19th as a patriotically oriented Polish sword used often in parade mounts. This one appears to have a sound and reasonably early combat blade, nice patination on the guard and the stylized birdhead hilt has a chevron pattern similar to one in Ostrowski ("Polish Sabres:Thier Origins and Evolution" Jan Ostrowski, 1979) which is shown as Lvov made. Crossed posts with Ariel, he is right that these became remarkably popular throughout Eastern Europe, but in my estimation that chevron feature seems most often associated with Polish examples. Most others have a greater degree of ostentatious motif aligned with the dress and parade status concept. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: B.C. Canada
Posts: 473
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Any way to see more details of the blade?
Thanks Jeff |
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 692
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Hi, tnx for your comments. Here are the pics.
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,167
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argh! now i have to wipe all the drool off my keyboard!
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#7 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: İstanbul
Posts: 22
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Sorry but something is wrong Karabela is not coming from Kerbela and kara is colour name of Black bela means trouble
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