Balkan Yataghan with Silver and Coral

Battara · 2nd December 2010, 03:58 AM

Greetings folks! Yet another yat I got from Oriental-Arms. I cleaned it up and did a little trimming around the torn bottom of the upper silver chape. The scabbard mounts are silver done in repousse and blue velvet. The upper chape has coral and dark green glass stones.

The hilt is silver with filigree, corals, and a couple of silver niello plaques.

As far as the blade is concerned, it is earlier and there are remnants of gold koftgari on both sides. Unfortunately the inscription on the one side is the best of the two and is barely visible. According to Artzi, the blade is older than the rest of the piece.

One other thing. According to Elgood in his recent book on The Arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period, this piece is from Focha, Bosnia.

I need help with translating the inscription if possible (please Zifir?

).

Enjoy!

Battara · 2nd December 2010, 03:58 AM

And more........

Battara · 2nd December 2010, 04:00 AM

Here are two pictures of the gold koftgari inscription that I need translated:

TVV · 2nd December 2010, 08:52 AM

Very nice yataghan Jose, congratulations. I have nothing to add, except that I think that during the time the yataghan was made, Foca was in the Herzegovina sanjak, rather than in the Bosnia sanjak of the Ottoman Empire. While Elgood shows two examples with writing on them expressly mentioning that they were mounted in Foca, I would guess the style was popular in Herzegovina and Montenegro, and quite certainly in parts of Bosnia and Serbia.

Regards,
Teodor

Zifir · 2nd December 2010, 12:36 PM

Hi Battara,
Unfortunately, we, translators, are too much concerned about the artistic quality of your pictures, especially the ones of scripts.

Seriously, it is very difficult to read the script from these pictures.

Amel-i El-hac Muhammed Sahib Osman...then it becomes really blurred

Spunjer · 2nd December 2010, 06:00 PM

Yowza! Now that's a sword! Never seen a sword with so much silver work! Beautiful, and congrats! My question is on swords like this, is it kosher to highly polish the blade ala katana style, since it looks as if the rest of it is shiny anyways?

2nd December 2010, 03:58 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,229	Balkan Yataghan with Silver and Coral Greetings folks! Yet another yat I got from Oriental-Arms. I cleaned it up and did a little trimming around the torn bottom of the upper silver chape. The scabbard mounts are silver done in repousse and blue velvet. The upper chape has coral and dark green glass stones. The hilt is silver with filigree, corals, and a couple of silver niello plaques. As far as the blade is concerned, it is earlier and there are remnants of gold koftgari on both sides. Unfortunately the inscription on the one side is the best of the two and is barely visible. According to Artzi, the blade is older than the rest of the piece. One other thing. According to Elgood in his recent book on The Arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period, this piece is from Focha, Bosnia. I need help with translating the inscription if possible (please Zifir? ). Enjoy! Attached Images Last edited by Battara; 2nd December 2010 at 04:21 AM.

2nd December 2010, 03:58 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,229	And more........ Attached Images

2nd December 2010, 04:00 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,229	Here are two pictures of the gold koftgari inscription that I need translated: Attached Images

2nd December 2010, 08:52 AM	#4
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,625	Very nice yataghan Jose, congratulations. I have nothing to add, except that I think that during the time the yataghan was made, Foca was in the Herzegovina sanjak, rather than in the Bosnia sanjak of the Ottoman Empire. While Elgood shows two examples with writing on them expressly mentioning that they were mounted in Foca, I would guess the style was popular in Herzegovina and Montenegro, and quite certainly in parts of Bosnia and Serbia. Regards, Teodor

2nd December 2010, 12:36 PM	#5
Zifir Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Istanbul Posts: 228	Hi Battara, Unfortunately, we, translators, are too much concerned about the artistic quality of your pictures, especially the ones of scripts. Seriously, it is very difficult to read the script from these pictures. Amel-i El-hac Muhammed Sahib Osman...then it becomes really blurred

2nd December 2010, 06:00 PM	#6
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	Yowza! Now that's a sword! Never seen a sword with so much silver work! Beautiful, and congrats! My question is on swords like this, is it kosher to highly polish the blade ala katana style, since it looks as if the rest of it is shiny anyways?