Of Saifs and Sossun Pata

Jim McDougall · 27th December 2012, 10:57 PM

Dom,
That is a beautiful sa'if! The blade appears to me to be a European trade blade, especially with block ricasso, and the radiused tip blade known as 'hatchet point' on mid to latter 18th century (into 19th somewhat) cavalry sabres.
The mark is one noted as used by Milanese swordsmiths c.1610 (Wallace Coll., Sir James Mann, A613, rapier). The plural term of course suggests it was likely a guild type mark rather than makers mark. The manner which it is stamped at this particular quadrant of the blade at the ricasso resembles similar area for marks apparantly applied to blades on Moroccan/Algerian sa'ifs (nimcha, as shown in Briggs,1965). It would seem these marks were used by merchants receiving blades in Red Sea entrepots, the use of this mark and an incomplete dentated arc ('sickle mark') is not only contrary to European manner, but incongruent with area of blade applied for such marks applied in European centers.

The interpretative copy of this mark seen on Jens' blade which is as noted distinctly Indian, reveals the spurious use of European marks by Indian makers presumably to characterize 'quality' as perceived on earlier trade blades, but perhaps interpreted into a now lost talismanic or symbolic parlance.

The sword blade design is not 'Indian' but a European trade blade design which influenced blades produced there in some degree, as well as even the Persian trade shamshir blades with the well known 'Assad Adullhah' lion in cartouche. These blades reached even Malaysia, and as seen here, Red Sea trade and Arabian entrepots. Yemeni ports received many forms of trade blades in commerce typically carried out by Omani vessels enroute to the East African coast as well as returning from Zanzibar and Somalia. It would seem that materials from the Indian trade were often of course included in the outbound voyages after entering the route via Oman.

All best regards,
Jim

27th December 2012, 10:57 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,285	Dom, That is a beautiful sa'if! The blade appears to me to be a European trade blade, especially with block ricasso, and the radiused tip blade known as 'hatchet point' on mid to latter 18th century (into 19th somewhat) cavalry sabres. The mark is one noted as used by Milanese swordsmiths c.1610 (Wallace Coll., Sir James Mann, A613, rapier). The plural term of course suggests it was likely a guild type mark rather than makers mark. The manner which it is stamped at this particular quadrant of the blade at the ricasso resembles similar area for marks apparantly applied to blades on Moroccan/Algerian sa'ifs (nimcha, as shown in Briggs,1965). It would seem these marks were used by merchants receiving blades in Red Sea entrepots, the use of this mark and an incomplete dentated arc ('sickle mark') is not only contrary to European manner, but incongruent with area of blade applied for such marks applied in European centers. The interpretative copy of this mark seen on Jens' blade which is as noted distinctly Indian, reveals the spurious use of European marks by Indian makers presumably to characterize 'quality' as perceived on earlier trade blades, but perhaps interpreted into a now lost talismanic or symbolic parlance. The sword blade design is not 'Indian' but a European trade blade design which influenced blades produced there in some degree, as well as even the Persian trade shamshir blades with the well known 'Assad Adullhah' lion in cartouche. These blades reached even Malaysia, and as seen here, Red Sea trade and Arabian entrepots. Yemeni ports received many forms of trade blades in commerce typically carried out by Omani vessels enroute to the East African coast as well as returning from Zanzibar and Somalia. It would seem that materials from the Indian trade were often of course included in the outbound voyages after entering the route via Oman. All best regards, Jim