ARABIAN SHAMSHIR WITH HUNGARIAN-STYLE BLADE
$0.00
Out of stock
Description
This very interesting 19th c. Arabian shamshir is mounted with a massive 82 cm-long, almost 4 cm-wide European blade. Blade is nicely engraved on both sides with a phrase VINCER AUT MO HUNGARIA [roughly translated from Latin as 'Victory for My Hungary'] , lions, figures of two Hungarian hussars in traditional uniform with swords, crescent moon. Blade is inscribed EISENHAUER, meaning the iron-cutter. The hilt is silver-mounted, with the rare surviving original knuckle chain which retains several beads of coral. The scabbard has a typewritten tag glued to the scabbard leather, stating that the sword was purchased by Frank H. Blackburn in 1930 in Mozul, at the Thieves Bazar. Frank H. Blackburn was an archeologist at the University of Chicago, and spent several years in the Middle East in the late 1920s-early 1930s.
Hungarian blades were considered excellent and were prized by the Arabian swordsmen, who called them Majar, from the Hungarian word Magyar, meaning 'a Hungarian'. I believe this blade was made in Solingen in the middle of 19th century, for the Near Eastern market, and purposely decorated with quasi-Hungarian motifs, along with other symbolism which would attract an Arab.
A superb sword!
A superb sword!