Bedouin Sabre

[kronckew]

she arrived today. 5in. grip, 30in. blade 1 3/8 in. wide 3/16in. thick. slight distal taper to hatchet point. two fullers. balance point 10 in. in front of the grip. somewhat pointn heavy.

grip appears to be a dark wood or horn layered on a central slightly lighter/redder central layer. two steel rivets/pins hold it all together on the tang. brass band at front of grip is plain brass sheet, bunch of holes form a dot pattern on one side. sm. steel tack at top to pin it in place. appears there was a similar band at the hilt, also hole patterned on one side (you can see a 'ghost' color change where it once was). sm. tack that held it is still tere too.

blade forte is engraved with two fishes either side of a "4" figure, topped with the word EAGYPT and a leafed floral/star or flower pattern, both sides. (Eagypt appears to be the alternate generic eropean spelling to the english Egypt) looks like thism may have been a trade blade.

the wood scabbard is covered in what looks like thin goatskin that has had a central rib threaded thru it rather than sewn with a fibre or hair. see photo. the upper section is thicker brown leather sewn with wire helix much like turkish scabbards. see photo. a much better cover than the rest. the 'drag' is a whitish metal rather crudely crinkled and bashed into shape, soldered seam. the end is actually open, showing the wood end, almost like the metal wore off. the crumpled band joining the two different leather sections, as is the crumpled section separating the drag from the goatskin, is actually a wrap if goatskin things, i assume to anchor the missing baldric.

weight w/o scabbad 656 gm.(01.45 lb. or 23.14 oz.)

[kronckew]

more photos

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

[QUOTE=kronckew]

~blade forte is engraved with two fishes either side of a "4" figure, topped with the word EAGYPT and a leafed floral/star or flower pattern, both sides. (Eagypt appears to be the alternate generic eropean spelling to the english Egypt) looks like thism may have been a trade blade.



Salaams kronckew ~About pictures 3 4 and 5 above ...Could this be a local inscription done after a fashionable European inscription and roughly making an effort to inscribe two birds alongside a Talismanic 4 like the sword below and refered to at http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...3&page=9&pp=30

In terms of possible copy cat design inscription see also http://www.ashokaarts.com/shop/horn-...ver-decoration for a North African Nimcha.(sold).. Moroccan... in the same style but accurately executed indicating that the pattern would have probably been known as far east as Egypt thus the bridge is there between styles of weapon and surface design.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi

[kronckew]

thanks, they could be 'birds' in lieu of beaked 'fish' or dolphins.

the '4' on the other side is the mirror image, a backwards '4'.

[Kubur]

well don't go too far
you have the country
it's written
AEGYPT

so Sinai

congrats

[Jim McDougall]

Perfectly well spotted Ibrahiim!
This is the kind of thread and perpetuation of discussion which is constructive in advancing our knowledge on a certain form or topic, and this example is classic in these Bedouin/Palestinian type sabres.

As Ibrahiim has well noted, this is clearly a blade marked with imitation inscription of much favored Hungarian type blades, in this case what have become known as 'the Transylvanian knot', a talismanic device in numerous forms. Ariel discovered these references to their character in an obscure reference on Hungarian swords some years ago (perhaps he could elaborate more as this was an astounding find).

As I recall, the '4' was indeed a talismanically oriented symbol used in a number of contexts, and the birds (I believe pigeons) were also symbolically dynamic with the 'Vivat Pandour' motto often included.

Here the AEGYPT word does, as Kubur astutely notes, does suggest association with the Sinai, and it is tempting of course to suggest the Greek structure in the spelling (though I do not wish to incur the linguistic barrage that presently looms large nearby).

These are intriguing swords with an often rustic charm about them, and though hard to define regionally by the very diffused nature of these fascinating tribal people who used them, they are always exciting to see.

[ariel]

As a matter of fact, the word "Aegypt" on the blade does not necessarily localize this saber to Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt controlled it between 1918 and 1967, and then it was captured by Israel in 1967 and went back to Egypt at the end of 1970s- early 1980s as a result of peace treaty.

But this saber is obviously much older ( I would not argue with the second half of 19th- century). However, up until 1918 Ottoman Empire owned everything from Suez all the way up north, towards Bedouin clans in the Galilee ( North Israel), as mentioned by broadaxe. Thus, an Egypt-made blade could have been used all over that area. Till 1967, Bedouins moved freely between the Egypt-controlled Sinai and Transjordan.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Perfectly well spotted Ibrahiim!
This is the kind of thread and perpetuation of discussion which is constructive in advancing our knowledge on a certain form or topic, and this example is classic in these Bedouin/Palestinian type sabres.

As Ibrahiim has well noted, this is clearly a blade marked with imitation inscription of much favored Hungarian type blades, in this case what have become known as 'the Transylvanian knot', a talismanic device in numerous forms. Ariel discovered these references to their character in an obscure reference on Hungarian swords some years ago (perhaps he could elaborate more as this was an astounding find).

As I recall, the '4' was indeed a talismanically oriented symbol used in a number of contexts, and the birds (I believe pigeons) were also symbolically dynamic with the 'Vivat Pandour' motto often included.

Here the AEGYPT word does, as Kubur astutely notes, does suggest association with the Sinai, and it is tempting of course to suggest the Greek structure in the spelling (though I do not wish to incur the linguistic barrage that presently looms large nearby).

These are intriguing swords with an often rustic charm about them, and though hard to define regionally by the very diffused nature of these fascinating tribal people who used them, they are always exciting to see.

Thank You Jim, An excellent and well thought through reply like that inspires members to write and to research. This is a great subject. I noted the thread of a while ago and went back for it at~ http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...SYLVANIAN+KNOT

The Hungarian connection to the mystical bird is very interesting. I saw this on a number of Hungarian sword blades looking like a sort of pigeon on other decorative backgrounds . In fact there is a very famous bird in Hungarian mythology viz;

Turul (animal) The great bird resembling to a falcon that was sent forth by Isten to guide the creation and destiny of the Magyar people. The first kings after St Stephen I. were the hereditiary of Turul ("Turul nemzetség")