Strange Yataghan

[Jim McDougall]

I enthusiastically agree with Ham....ebay as reference resource...NOT!!!!

I also concur with Ham on his assessment noting the very plausible Pandour associations with this weapon, and I would consider this sword homogenous, although possibly taken apart in restoring or cleaning components.
The Pandours were essentially auxiliary units of the Austrian army during the reign of Maria Theresa, who very much influenced subsequent units that were added to the armies of several other European powers.
These swords were basically fighting variants of 'hunting' swords, or couteaux de chasse and these evolved from similar hunting or riding swords of the 17th century. The Pandour examples were of mid 18th century, and this example may be one of the form probably used by as a fighting sabre by European officer in one of the latter auxiliary units modeled on the Pandour regiments. An illustration of these Austrian Pandour attributed swords is found in "Les Armes Traditionelles de l'Europe Centrale" by I. Lebedynsky (p.69) and the deep bellied blade is virtually the same. While the decidedly oriental crossguard seems atypical, one of the key elements of the dress of these Pandour styled units was the fearsome appearance enhanced by varied and fearsome looking oriental garb, scalplocks and drooping mustaches etc.
It would not seem unusual that such a guard might have been added on one of these swords.

This example may be a yataghan type cavalry sabre of possibly Balkan or Austrian use from latter 18th to early 19th c.

Best regards,
Jim