The Property of THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, sold to benefit uture acquisitions

A GOLD MOUNTED SWORD (SHAMSHIR)

IRAN, 17TH CENTURY AND ARABIA, CIRCA 1900

Details

A GOLD MOUNTED SWORD (SHAMSHIR)
Iran, 17th century and Arabia, circa 1900
The single-edged watered steel blade worked with the "ladder of the prophet design", the hilt of typical shamshir form worked in gold with applied wire-work roundels, scrolling and floral motifs, gold quillons, the leather covered wooden sheath with upper gold mount with engraved motifs and applied palm-tree design, the upper ridge engraved with the maker's name, the chape and suspension rings of silver engraved and gold washed with simple floral medallions, blade with very light surface corrosion, silver tarnished
overall 37¾in. (96cm.) long

Provenance

Nasli M. Heeramaneck, donated by Joan Palevsky

Literature

Pal, Pratapaditya (ed.): Islamic Art, the Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, Los Angeles, 1973, no.321, p.170 and 172.

Lot Essay

The signature on the sheath reads amal (the work of) Muhammad son of Bani.
Two very similar swords with Arabian mounts on earlier Persian blades are in the Victoria and Albert Museum (North, Anthony: Islamic Arms, London, 1984, pl.25, p.31). Both were presented to Lord Athlone in 1928; one by King Ibn Saud, the other by Sheikh Iza of Bahrain. The example given by Ibn Saud has the same palm-tree motif at the top of the scabbard as is found here. It can better be seen in another photograph (Elgood, Robert: The Arms and Armour of Arabia, Aldershot, 1994, pl.2.18, p.22).

More from ISLAMIC ART AND MANUSCRIPTS

View All