A Safavid shamshir with rare Turkoman carnelian and gilt silver-mounted scabbard and baldric
1) Slender, curved 33 inch crucible steel blade, the damascus pattern showing considerable wear; one side retaining perhaps half of inlaid gold maker's mark. See note below for detailed analysis and translation of inscriptions kindly provided by Dr. Monouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani. Blade guard of traditional form, the front languet shortened. Wooden gripscales set with numerous blossom-form silver plates; silver wire ferrule, the pommel cap of gilt silver in the Turkoman manner. Silver scabbard of Turkoman manufacture, the front decorated with parcel gilt arabesques and repeating designs and set with two carnelian cabochons and with a red stone cabochon in the languet depression; below the lower suspension mount a calligraphic inscription, possibly in Orkhon. 2) The brown leather baldric, probably 19th century, faced with madder red wool cloth and set with nineteen gilt silver medallions of lobed form, each set with central carnelian cabochon and flanked by pairs of smaller silver medallions molded with similar lobed forms. Two-piece gilt silver buckle, each part set with three carnelians. Suspension straps set with numerous small rectangular silver panels, each molded with raised bosses and trefoils, the two straps depending from large, circular gilt silver plates, each with spirally fluted boss at the center.
Condition: 1) Blade has been cleaned and shows some light pitting. Hilt with some chipping to gripscales. 2) Minor wear and staining to cloth; suspension straps missing three silver panels.
See Illustration
