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Lot Essay
The blade is signed 'amal-e (the work of) Muhammad Taqi'.
An axe dated 1138/1725-6 is signed by Muhammad Taqi (Islamic Arms and Armour from Private Danish Collections, Copenhagen, 1982, cat no. 81).
The inlaid inscription on the blade is a Persian couplet in nasta'liq: "All your slain ones are fallen everywhere like drunkards , As if your swords have been watered with wine". The same couplet appears written in naskh on a sword attributed to 16th century Ottoman Turkey by David Alexander.
The sword is also inscribed with the words al-khass bi-niyyat "Intended exclusively for"
This appears to be a fine signed Safavid blade which has been adapted probably in an Ottoman workshop. The original panels of decoration are very fine, but set a little way away from the hilt. In the dividing area there is an Ottoman style gold damascened inscription which probably covers a joining of the original blade onto a new tang. This adaptation was probably worked in the late 18th or first half of the 19th century, to judge from the decorative details.
An axe dated 1138/1725-6 is signed by Muhammad Taqi (Islamic Arms and Armour from Private Danish Collections, Copenhagen, 1982, cat no. 81).
The inlaid inscription on the blade is a Persian couplet in nasta'liq: "All your slain ones are fallen everywhere like drunkards , As if your swords have been watered with wine". The same couplet appears written in naskh on a sword attributed to 16th century Ottoman Turkey by David Alexander.
The sword is also inscribed with the words al-khass bi-niyyat "Intended exclusively for"
This appears to be a fine signed Safavid blade which has been adapted probably in an Ottoman workshop. The original panels of decoration are very fine, but set a little way away from the hilt. In the dividing area there is an Ottoman style gold damascened inscription which probably covers a joining of the original blade onto a new tang. This adaptation was probably worked in the late 18th or first half of the 19th century, to judge from the decorative details.