Saber (karabela) with damascened steel blade, hardstone and - Lot 465

Lot n° 465
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Estimation :
8000 - 12000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 72 531EUR
Saber (karabela) with damascened steel blade, hardstone and - Lot 465
Saber (karabela) with damascened steel blade, hardstone and silver niello hilt, and leather and silver niello scabbard Ottoman Empire, late 17th or early 18th century L. 101 cm with scabbard - Gross weight: 1166 g A sabre (karabela) with watered steel blade, hardstone and nielloed silver hilt, and leather and nielloed silver scabbard Ottoman Turkey, late 17th or early 18th century L. 101 cm in scabbard - Weight: 41 oz 928 CH One side of the damascened steel blade is inlaid with gold and bears the inscription: "There is no hero but 'Ali, no sword but Dhu'l-Faqar". A small cartouche on the same side bears the inscription: "Ghulam-'Ali [son of] Musa al-Rida". The silver hilt and scabbard mount are matched and finely carved with floral motifs on a niello background. An unidentified tughra is stamped on the tip of the silver scabbard. The blade is 81.5 cm long. The karabela-style guard, often described as a "bird's head" or "beak" handle, is a form of guard developed in the late 17th century. It was particularly popular in Eastern Eastern Europe and is today often associated with Poland, although it was used as far away as Iran. A sword with comparable niello mounts and nephrite hilt is in the Wallace Collection, London (inv. no. OA1785). One of the hilt handles has a replaced section. Slight wear to the leather, small chips on the edge, slightly worn gold lettering, one splint slightly bent. Handle broken and partially replaced on one side.
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