Two Small Yemeni (I think) Jambiyas and Questions

ariel · 14th November 2007, 09:30 PM

Hate to disagree with Lew( he has too many swords at his disposal

), but there is NOTHING Georgian/Caucasian in either of them.
South Arabia, both: Yemen, Oman... The styles got mixed and the lines between them were often blurred.
No matter what, no Georgian would get out of the house wearing one of those: he would be ashamed to admit that he had anything shorter than 10 inches

Lew · 14th November 2007, 10:40 PM

Ariel

Can you explain the wire binding? I have only seen this on kindjal scabbards could this be a Syrian or Turkish piece? Here is a small dagger with a kindjal style hilt? The scabbard seems Kurdish to me?

Lew

ariel · 15th November 2007, 12:03 AM

Wire binding can be seen on Turkish scabbards and, I am sure, on Persian as well.
Arabian Peninsula was an Ottoman colony until WWI. Elgood mentions Syrian weapon merchants and armourers in old Arabia. Surely, Caucasian Muslims went to Arabia on the Hajj and even Shamil died there. Circassians were re-settled there by the Ottomans after 1870. Also, Daghestani blades were popular there: Omani Kattaras used curved trade blades.
However, nothing in this jambiya would suggest any Caucasian motive. The contour of the blade, the pronounced central ridge, the silverwork are all unmistakeably South Arabian.

Emanuel · 15th November 2007, 12:36 AM

Hello,

I have a khanjar with scabbard similar to the one on the right - same wire binding. it was discussed here and since Rick had a yataghan scabbard with the same binding, the conclusion was that it was likely Ottoman/Turkish.

Emanuel

TVV · 15th November 2007, 03:02 AM

Thank you all for the replies. I think Ariel is on to something. The blade and the decoration is obviously Southern Arabian, but there is something Syrian about the scabbard and to an extent, the hilt. Here are two Syrian khanjars (appologies for the poor pictures). The smaller one is obviously recent and made for the tourist market, but note the hilt. The bigger, older one has the stitch on the front, covered under the brass strip. The similarities I would rather not attribute to the Ottomans, as the small jambiya seems to be post 1918, but instead to a traveling Syrian merchant/scabbard maker.
Regards,
Teodor

14th November 2007, 09:30 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Hate to disagree with Lew( he has too many swords at his disposal ), but there is NOTHING Georgian/Caucasian in either of them. South Arabia, both: Yemen, Oman... The styles got mixed and the lines between them were often blurred. No matter what, no Georgian would get out of the house wearing one of those: he would be ashamed to admit that he had anything shorter than 10 inches Last edited by ariel; 14th November 2007 at 11:54 PM.

14th November 2007, 10:40 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Ariel Can you explain the wire binding? I have only seen this on kindjal scabbards could this be a Syrian or Turkish piece? Here is a small dagger with a kindjal style hilt? The scabbard seems Kurdish to me? Lew Attached Images Last edited by LOUIEBLADES; 14th November 2007 at 11:00 PM.

15th November 2007, 12:36 AM	#4
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hello, I have a khanjar with scabbard similar to the one on the right - same wire binding. it was discussed here and since Rick had a yataghan scabbard with the same binding, the conclusion was that it was likely Ottoman/Turkish. Emanuel Attached Images

15th November 2007, 03:02 AM	#5
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,660	Thank you all for the replies. I think Ariel is on to something. The blade and the decoration is obviously Southern Arabian, but there is something Syrian about the scabbard and to an extent, the hilt. Here are two Syrian khanjars (appologies for the poor pictures). The smaller one is obviously recent and made for the tourist market, but note the hilt. The bigger, older one has the stitch on the front, covered under the brass strip. The similarities I would rather not attribute to the Ottomans, as the small jambiya seems to be post 1918, but instead to a traveling Syrian merchant/scabbard maker. Regards, Teodor Attached Images

15th November 2007, 12:03 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Wire binding can be seen on Turkish scabbards and, I am sure, on Persian as well. Arabian Peninsula was an Ottoman colony until WWI. Elgood mentions Syrian weapon merchants and armourers in old Arabia. Surely, Caucasian Muslims went to Arabia on the Hajj and even Shamil died there. Circassians were re-settled there by the Ottomans after 1870. Also, Daghestani blades were popular there: Omani Kattaras used curved trade blades. However, nothing in this jambiya would suggest any Caucasian motive. The contour of the blade, the pronounced central ridge, the silverwork are all unmistakeably South Arabian.