TURKEY, THE BLADE SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY, THE HILT POLAND OR AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Details

AN OTTOMAN SWORD (KILIJ)
TURKEY, THE BLADE SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY, THE HILT POLAND OR AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The curved watered-steel blade tapering to point, decorated with gold arabesques on the chappe and near the point, the silver quillons set with a single emerald to each side, the jade hilt of karabella form with small stones, the silver scabbard heavily worked in repoussé with ruby and emerald-set mounts

33in. (82cm.) in scabbard

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Louise Broadhurst

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Lot Essay

The shape of the hilt of our kilij is a derivation of the Austro-Hungarian type found on many edged weapons from the Ottoman provinces. Other published examples are in Petrasch et. al, 1991 and a shahska which sold at Christie’s, South Kensington, 28 April 2017, lot 239.

Our blade has gold damascened scalloped decoration, comparable to, although more restrained than, a sword marked with the tughra of Sultan Osman III (r.1754-1757) kept in the Rüstkammer in Dresden suggesting ours was made at a similar period (Dresden, 2010, no. 346, p.353).

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