Help needed identifying shamshir wootz blade

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by William Fox

Dear members,

This is my first post on this forum. I have been collecting antique edged weapons for many years, since I was twelve, I'm now 36.

Years ago I started collecting German pattern welded damascus swords, mostly 19th and early 20th century vintage, and became fascinated with the art of European 'Damascus' blades. Inevitably I tried to find out what real damascus blades were all about, and I began to study Persian sword making and wootz steel. I spent time looking at examples in museums and books, and finally, very recently, I have purchased an example of a wootz steel Persian shamshir. The grip seems to be in bad shape, with signs of old repairs, but the blade looks pretty good.

The blade has two cartouches, with some other writing. I asked a friend in the Middle East if he could help me translate them, but although he is a calligrapher, he is not expert in Persian / Farsi. He thinks that one cartouche says: 'made by Zaman Esfahani'.

Can anyone help me with translating what is written on this blade, and also tell me anything about its age and who Zaman was.

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

Kind regards

Will

Salaams William Fox, Your thread is indeed an excellent one... in reading the many details regarding signatures on Shamshiirs I conclude that the following is perhaps the nearest I would agree with; from http://www.vikingsword.com/ethsword/shamshir/

Quote"Considering the variation in the inscribed dates and rulers it seems unlikely that these inscriptions were truly made to deceive contemporary buyers, hence these inscriptions may essentially have been intended as talismanic devices."Unquote.

I have to say that I am at the same time delighted with the wording since Talismanic inscription is an important area in its own right. To be clear I think the illusion of an actual person is very much in line with the invention albeit a masquerade and a play with words not so much as to lie or cheat a buyer moreover to classify a workshop (though it may well be that other workshops also used the signature as well) as the producer of fine blades. Many Toledo, Solingen and other centres did the same thing with European swords... Running Wolf, Moons, Sickle marks, ANDREA FERRERA ...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.