Kattaras aplenty

Michael Blalock · 19th July 2009, 08:04 PM

I found these photos of kattaras at the Sayyid Faisal bin Ali museum in Oman. Quite a collection. It would be worth the ticket just to see these swords.

http://travel.maktoob.com/vb/travel250602/

TVV · 19th July 2009, 09:40 PM

Great pictures Michael, thanks for finding and sharing them.

The picture of the curved kattars is especially interesting, as it shows a sword with a shashka-lika hilt at the bottom.

Regards,
Teodor

ariel · 19th July 2009, 10:48 PM

Is it shashka-like or nimcha-like?

Michael Blalock · 19th July 2009, 10:58 PM

That hilt looks like an arabian saif or nimcha without the guard to me.
These swords are refered to in the caption on the website as الكتارة "the Kattara" but this does not translate in any dictionary. I also search for the tri-consonental rootكتر ktr but got nothing. I also found them refered to as مستقيم السيف العماني "Omani Straight Swords".

TVV · 19th July 2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

Is it shashka-like or nimcha-like?

You and Michael are indeed right - I agree this looks like a Zanzibar saif without the guard and probably has nothing to do with a shashka (although we have not seen the blade).

fearn · 20th July 2009, 12:54 AM

Interesting how some of those look like dhas. Probably just convergence, although they were all parts of the same trading network on the Indian Ocean...

Hmmmm.......

F

CharlesS · 20th July 2009, 01:53 AM

I happen to love these. They are remarkably comfortable to handle and come in a variety of styles and quality as seen in these pics. Rsword even has one with what is apparently an Arab forged wootz blade!

The shields are not shabby either!....but the helmet does look, at least from this angle, suspiciously late.

Thanks for posting.

No offense, but I do not see a dha/dhab comparison at all.

fearn · 20th July 2009, 02:54 AM

Hi Charles,

No offense taken. The one I'm thinking about is the second picture, those, curved, single edged blades. Or take a look at the two sheathed kattaras on the official seal of Oman.

I'm not proposing that there's some sort of "evolution" of kattara to the dha or vice versa. It's one of those pictures that makes me wonder whether the omanis simply put a simple kattara hilt on any blade they got, straight or curved, or whether some omani sailor got a look at a dha or an old Tang era dao, and then told a kattara maker about it (as in, wow those single-edged curved blades were so cool! Could you make me a Chinese/Burmese/Thai style kattara?)

As for Michael's search on the triconsonantal KTR root, I wonder if the word came from the same root as the Indian katar?

One thing I remembered was Tim Severin sailling a traditional Arabian Dhow from Oman to China in 1983, just to prove it could be done. I saw something about it in National Geographic. Anyway, he used Indian shipwrights to build the boat (tied together, not bolted), and one point was that the Medieval Indian Ocean was tied together from Arabia through Indochina. Oman after all, was one of the routes through which Islam moved to Asian port cities, all the way to China. Because of the Omanis' long status as a trading nation, I'd expect their weaponry to show influences from many cultures. Same way we Americans have our nunchucks and so forth.

Best,

F

Jim McDougall · 20th July 2009, 05:06 AM

Michael Thank you for these beautiful pictures!!!

These Omani kattaras are indeed a fascinating sword, and as we have discussed many times over the years, these are but one of a number of guardless hilt swords typical of weapons used in draw cut or slashing.
It will be noticed that these typically have the rounded tip favored for slashing cuts, and interestingly we can see this type of blade point on the takoubas of the Sahara.

The kattara is discussed of course in Elgood, "Arms and Armour of Arabia" and the earlier versions of these are believed to have been ornately covered in silver sheathing, with downturned quillons and reminiscent of the jineta and medieval Islamic swords. The Omanis were key traders, and thier Sultanate in Zanzibar was one the important trade centers, and the reason these are often noted from that location.

These are not associated with the dha, and the association with the shashka and it are only visual as far as I'm aware. It is important to recall, as Fearn has aptly noted, that the Omani's being prominant traders and certainly often using much the same trade blades from Germany and the Caucusus that entered African regions. The curved blades may well have on occasion been the same as found on some shashkas, purely incidentally, and use of them on the kattara surely personal preference. The shashka type hilt seems to be one of the Hadhramauti type hilts or from Yemen. The contact with India, Sri Lanka and in some degree SE Asia and China certainly would lend to some weapons influences crossculturally, but each would require a great deal more in the way of evidence and examples.

Great observation on the term 'katar' Fearn! and in another interesting instance, kattara seems very close to the term kaskara, and the same blades or style of blades are of course on the kattara (aside from the rounded tip).

One instance of such influence is seen with the Manding sabres of Mali, which have the same guardless cylidrical hilt as the Omani kattara, and the trade routes via the caravans which extended trans Sahara through Timbuktu and into Morocco show evidence of such diffusion.

All best regards,
Jim

kahnjar1 · 20th July 2009, 06:26 AM

Most impressive and thanks for sharing. As a matter of interest, the two crossed Kattara and the Khanjar shown in the centre of the last pic, are forming the Sultans Crest which appears on the Omani flag.
I have just had a look at this site and there are other nice things there also. Impressive displays also of firearms etc.
Regards Stuart

colin henshaw · 20th July 2009, 09:19 PM

I used to work in Muscat, Oman in the early 1970s, when I was just beginning to become interested in antiques arms and armour. I remember well visiting the old souk in Muttrah and seeing old swords, khanjars, matchlocks, powder flasks etc., for sale for small amounts, literally in piles, the silver black with age.

If only to go back in time....

19th July 2009, 08:04 PM	#1
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	Kattaras aplenty I found these photos of kattaras at the Sayyid Faisal bin Ali museum in Oman. Quite a collection. It would be worth the ticket just to see these swords. http://travel.maktoob.com/vb/travel250602/ Attached Images

19th July 2009, 10:58 PM	#4
Michael Blalock Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: dc Posts: 271	That hilt looks like an arabian saif or nimcha without the guard to me. These swords are refered to in the caption on the website as الكتارة "the Kattara" but this does not translate in any dictionary. I also search for the tri-consonental rootكتر ktr but got nothing. I also found them refered to as مستقيم السيف العماني "Omani Straight Swords". Last edited by Michael Blalock; 19th July 2009 at 11:08 PM.

20th July 2009, 06:26 AM	#10
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,739	Most impressive and thanks for sharing. As a matter of interest, the two crossed Kattara and the Khanjar shown in the centre of the last pic, are forming the Sultans Crest which appears on the Omani flag. I have just had a look at this site and there are other nice things there also. Impressive displays also of firearms etc. Regards Stuart Last edited by kahnjar1; 20th July 2009 at 06:47 AM.

19th July 2009, 09:40 PM	#2
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,622	Great pictures Michael, thanks for finding and sharing them. The picture of the curved kattars is especially interesting, as it shows a sword with a shashka-lika hilt at the bottom. Regards, Teodor

19th July 2009, 10:48 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Is it shashka-like or nimcha-like?

20th July 2009, 12:54 AM	#6
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Interesting how some of those look like dhas. Probably just convergence, although they were all parts of the same trading network on the Indian Ocean... Hmmmm....... F

20th July 2009, 01:53 AM	#7
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	I happen to love these. They are remarkably comfortable to handle and come in a variety of styles and quality as seen in these pics. Rsword even has one with what is apparently an Arab forged wootz blade! The shields are not shabby either!....but the helmet does look, at least from this angle, suspiciously late. Thanks for posting. No offense, but I do not see a dha/dhab comparison at all.

20th July 2009, 02:54 AM	#8
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Charles, No offense taken. The one I'm thinking about is the second picture, those, curved, single edged blades. Or take a look at the two sheathed kattaras on the official seal of Oman. I'm not proposing that there's some sort of "evolution" of kattara to the dha or vice versa. It's one of those pictures that makes me wonder whether the omanis simply put a simple kattara hilt on any blade they got, straight or curved, or whether some omani sailor got a look at a dha or an old Tang era dao, and then told a kattara maker about it (as in, wow those single-edged curved blades were so cool! Could you make me a Chinese/Burmese/Thai style kattara?) As for Michael's search on the triconsonantal KTR root, I wonder if the word came from the same root as the Indian katar? One thing I remembered was Tim Severin sailling a traditional Arabian Dhow from Oman to China in 1983, just to prove it could be done. I saw something about it in National Geographic. Anyway, he used Indian shipwrights to build the boat (tied together, not bolted), and one point was that the Medieval Indian Ocean was tied together from Arabia through Indochina. Oman after all, was one of the routes through which Islam moved to Asian port cities, all the way to China. Because of the Omanis' long status as a trading nation, I'd expect their weaponry to show influences from many cultures. Same way we Americans have our nunchucks and so forth. Best, F

20th July 2009, 05:06 AM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,945	Michael Thank you for these beautiful pictures!!! These Omani kattaras are indeed a fascinating sword, and as we have discussed many times over the years, these are but one of a number of guardless hilt swords typical of weapons used in draw cut or slashing. It will be noticed that these typically have the rounded tip favored for slashing cuts, and interestingly we can see this type of blade point on the takoubas of the Sahara. The kattara is discussed of course in Elgood, "Arms and Armour of Arabia" and the earlier versions of these are believed to have been ornately covered in silver sheathing, with downturned quillons and reminiscent of the jineta and medieval Islamic swords. The Omanis were key traders, and thier Sultanate in Zanzibar was one the important trade centers, and the reason these are often noted from that location. These are not associated with the dha, and the association with the shashka and it are only visual as far as I'm aware. It is important to recall, as Fearn has aptly noted, that the Omani's being prominant traders and certainly often using much the same trade blades from Germany and the Caucusus that entered African regions. The curved blades may well have on occasion been the same as found on some shashkas, purely incidentally, and use of them on the kattara surely personal preference. The shashka type hilt seems to be one of the Hadhramauti type hilts or from Yemen. The contact with India, Sri Lanka and in some degree SE Asia and China certainly would lend to some weapons influences crossculturally, but each would require a great deal more in the way of evidence and examples. Great observation on the term 'katar' Fearn! and in another interesting instance, kattara seems very close to the term kaskara, and the same blades or style of blades are of course on the kattara (aside from the rounded tip). One instance of such influence is seen with the Manding sabres of Mali, which have the same guardless cylidrical hilt as the Omani kattara, and the trade routes via the caravans which extended trans Sahara through Timbuktu and into Morocco show evidence of such diffusion. All best regards, Jim

20th July 2009, 09:19 PM	#11
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	I used to work in Muscat, Oman in the early 1970s, when I was just beginning to become interested in antiques arms and armour. I remember well visiting the old souk in Muttrah and seeing old swords, khanjars, matchlocks, powder flasks etc., for sale for small amounts, literally in piles, the silver black with age. If only to go back in time....