Saudi Arabian Arms, Armor and Weapons

Antique, 18th-19th century mounted in solid 22k gold museum-quality Islamic Middle Eastern - Arabian, Arab sword "Saif" in the form of the Indo-Persian saber shamshir in a characteristic Arab style, with 17th - 18th century Indian Mughal blade with late 18th century Arabian Peninsula gold mounting. The sword, wooden scabbard and hilt are enclosed in solid 22k gold. A hilt comprises a grip with camel bone grip scales, enclosed by solid gold straps and wrapped in a solid gold wire at the base, rising to a solid gold cup-pommel, jeweled with faceted ruby stone. Solid silver cross guard with bud-shaped terminals is embellished with solid gold repousse plaques adorned with arabesques design. The wooden scabbard is clad with solid gold mounts formed from several separate elements, made of 22 karats solid gold sheet, it is embossed and engraved with typical Arabic tribal motifs and mounted with two large bulging solid gold suspension mounts (rings missing). The Damascus steel blade of the sword is made in Mughal Indian Empire in late 17th - early 18th century, in characteristic of this period time Indian sword blades made in the style of the European blades by Genoese and Styrian sword smiths. Those blades were imported to India during the late 16th -early 17th century and known in Mughal India by the name Firangi. FEATURES OF THE BLADE: The blade is made of hand-forged welded mechanical Damascus steel with a watered pattern with a slightly visible welded Damascus pattern with horizontal lines known as the Muhammad’s ladder pattern (see the last two photos in the listing). Long, slightly curved, sturdy, blade is cut on both sides with a broad ,full-length fuller and a short, slender fuller along the back edge. The spine near the cross guard is stamped with pseudo-European makers marks comprising series of Latin alphabet letters: Ɪ o Ɪ o Ɪ o Ɪ o Ɪ o Ɪ o Ɪ o. The ricasso of the blade near the cross guard is bounded in reinforcing steel collar since as valuable old Mughal Damascus steel blade was removed from the old hilt and remounted into the newer gold mounted Arab hilt. This procedure of the remounted old expensive blades and reinforcing the ricasso by collar can be seen in the many Turkish Ottoman swords with old blades mounted with 18th-19th century hilts. These exceptional qualities, gold-mounted Arab swords "Saif " are classified as "Royal Sabers" that belonged to Arab kings, sultans, or sheiks, sometimes they were presented to very important persons (other monarchs). In Muslim culture, the offering of the sword is an act of definite friendship, loyalty, trust, and mutual protection between the giver and beneficiary. Most of these royal swords...

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