Yemeni sword

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Michael Blalock

When we got this sword in Taiz in 1963 we were told it was Turkish. That is what I thought until I discussed it with Oriental-Arms back in 2002. Artzi told me he had seen others of these swords come from Yemen.
The Ottoman turks held Yemen from the 1870's till 1918 when the last Pasha left. The repousse work on the hilts looks similar to Turkish work so it is not a big stretch to speculate that there were Turkish swordsmiths that came to Yemen with the army and may have trained local artisans to copy their techniques. These sword could have been produced in Yemen for the Turks as a souvenir or made for local use by Yemeni's at weddings or even for sale in Aden. There is a tradition of renting swords for Yemeni weddings.
I know the Turkish styles had a big impact on the Jewish jewelers who developed styles to sell to the Turks and visitors to Aden.

In 1963 there were still Yemenis who had grown up under Ottoman rule, so the original attribution that the sword is Turkish is very plausible. Some Turks stayed in the Imams administration until 1962. Taiz and it's nearby port of Mocha was one of the more stable areas for the Turks and close to trade with Aden, the Omani coast and East Africa. I think it is credible that these swords were made in Yemen with Turkish influence that was incorporated onto the readily available blades found throughout Southern Arabia and East Africa at the time.

Salaams Michael Blalock ~I see nothing wrong with your assumption and indeed I thought there could be Jewish influence on the style. I do however tend toward the already laid down description of the Central Asian type (though personally I suspect the blade form may even be Algerian). At least it is not of the Omani flexible straight dancer format of The Omani Sayf.

Here I reprint the excellent reference description from Oliver Pinchot

Quote"A RARE CENTRAL ASIAN BROADSWORD
A quite similar example depicted in the ninth-century fresco of a mounted Samanid ruler at Nishapur allows attribution of the form. The distinctive guardless hilt silvered or gilt, with an expanded ferrule and cylindrical grip, embossed and engraved overall with vinework, the bud-form pommel spirally fluted. The exceptionally long, straight, double-edged blade with evidence of wootz forging, a short central fuller to either side and a polygonal maker’s mark inscribed, WORK OF HASSAN [?] struck twice on either side. In its wooden scabbard with velvet covering, the locket and chape embossed and engraved en suite with the hilt, the suspension bands with openwork decoration. Beginning of the 19th century. Light wear, small area of pitting to blade. Very rarely encountered, probably a coronation sword.Overall length 101.3 cm. Condition I, Unquote"

It may well be such that this weapon although apparently a late comer to the sword world may have no brief and deliberate label moreover the design and style could be a mixed hybrid taking variations on a theme from various quarters and even as you say with the craftsmanship of the Jewish artisan and reflections of red sea blades in the ensuing mixture...It certainly makes for a very interesting conundrum...and a great thread !! Which is what the world of Ethnographic research is all about...no?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.