Enrica Medugno
Senior Sale Coordinator
Property from the Mohammed Khalil Collection
Lot 64*,R
A rare Seljuk gold overlaid steel sword Persia, 11th/12th Century
12 November 2024, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£30,000 - £40,000
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Oliver White
Head of Department
A rare Seljuk gold overlaid steel sword
Persia, 11th/12th Century
Persia, 11th/12th Century
the single edged steel blade of slightly curved form with flattened spine and double-edged section towards point, single fuller, applied steel cuff with foliate edge to forte, engraved and decorated in gold overlay with a line of inscription in kufic to one side, below a band of vegetal decoration, an inscription-filled cartouche to the other, the tapering tang with two holes, steel crossguard
100.9 cm. long
100.9 cm. long
Footnotes
Provenance
The Mohammed Khalil Collection.
Published
M. K. Ibrahim, Islamic Arms and Armour, Vol. I, United Arab Emirates, 2022, p. 225, cat. no. 14.
The present lot is an extremely rare example of a blade from Seljuk Persia. The slightly curving blade demonstrates the formal continuation of early sabres from the Caucasus during the Khazar period. The applied cuff to the forte was present to protect the fingers as fighting techniques evolved from thrusting to slashing, and first appeared on 7th century sabres. For a sword of the same form with a comparable applied sleeve, and for further discussion of the type see Bashir Mohamed, The Arts of the Muslim Knight, the Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection, 2007, pp. 38-39, no. 9.
Inscriptions: undeciphered.
Important Notice to Buyers
Some countries, e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of works of particular origins. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) and Syrian origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid on or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.