Antique Gold Mounted Arab Islamic Sword Shamshir Damascus Steel Mughal Blade

A very rare and important mounted in solid 22k gold. Antique, 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 19th century Arabian Peninsula gold mounting.

The sword wooden scabbard and hilt are covered 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 crossguard with bud-shaped terminals is embellished with solid gold repousse plaques with 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 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 swordsmiths. Those blades were imported to India during the late 16th -early 17th century and known in Mughal India by the name Firangi.

In these circumstances, the name Firangi was given to all swords blades of European origin imported into India during the 16th and 17th Centuries. These blades were highly valued in the Mughal empire, so the Indian swordsmiths started to make the Damascus blades in European form with fullers and stamped these blades with pseudo-European makers marks.

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 each face with a broad full-length fuller and a short, slender fuller along the back edge. The spine near the crossguard 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.

The blade is hand forged of high carbonate steel. (Tapped by the fingernails make a very nice sound characteristic of high-quality carbonated steel).

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 have leather-trimmed scabbards and individual gold fittings. This sword's scabbard is entirely clad with a 22-karat solid gold sheet.

REFERENCES:

1. An Indian sword tulwar with related fullered blade dated to the 17th - 18th century is published in the book: The Hindu Warrior: The Roy Elvis Collection of South Indian Arms and Armour. Page.148. Fig.120.

2. An Indian sword tulwar with related fullered blade dated to the 16th - 17th century is published in the book: Mortal Beauty. Arms and Armour of India and China. Exhibition catalogue. Moscow: The State Museum of Oriental Art. by E. Karlova, A.Pastukhov. Page. 214.Fig.125

3.A similar sword gift from Saudi King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud to Prince Ahmad Shah Khan in Afghanistan was sold at a French auction in Paris in 2013 for 955,400 Euros (1.2 million USD).

https://english.alarabiya.net/life-style/art-and-culture/2013/11/18/Historic-Saudi-sword-sells-for-1m-at-French-auction

http://islam.ru/en/content/story/historic-saudi-sword-sells-1m-french-auction

https://www.arabnews.com/news/479956

https://www.justcollecting.com/miscellania/gold-saudi-presentation-sabre-sells-for-1-2m-in-osenat-auction

4.A related sword, not entirely but partially in a gold-clad scabbard, is published in the Sotheby's catalog, "Art of the Islamic World," London, October 6, 2010 (lot 303), and sold for £ 20000 ($ 31.828).

This price was from 2010 when Islamic antiques were cheaper than today. Please see the link below:

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.303.html/2010/arts-of-the-islamic-world-l10223

THE BUYER WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A COPY OF THE PAGES FROM THE MENTIONED REFERENCES, TOGETHER WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY, AND THE JEWELRY APPRAISAL OF THE VALUE OF THE GOLD ALONE USED TO DECORATE THIS SWORD BASED ON THE GOLD VALUE OF MARCH 05, 2021.
GOLD AS A METAL, EXCLUDING ITS VALUE AS JEWELRY, IS VALUED AT $ 16,778.60.

MEASUREMENTS:
Overall length with the scabbard: 98 cm (38.58 inches)
Overall length without scabbard: 95 cm (37.4 inches)
Length of the blade: 82 cm (32.28 inches)
Width of the blade at the widest point: 3.5 cm (1.38 inches)

Total weight of the sword with scabbard: 1.156 kg (2.549 lb.)

The approximate weight of the gold is 265 grams.

CONDITION: with signs of age and use, the gold sheet on the scabbard is damaged with some abrasion, dents, scratches and nicks, which is common in this type of mount since 22 karat gold is softer than steel or brass.
Two carrying rings for suspension mounts are missing.
Probably there was a chain connecting the pommel with the crossguard, which is missing.
The two upper gold parts of the scabbard mountings can be pulled out in a straight line. The rest of the gold cover clad on the scabbard cannot be removed since they are mounted on the curviness.

Please see all 27 pictures in the listing as they are part of the object's condition description.

This rare and unique museum quality sword has exceptional artistic, historical, and investment value.