Help ID This Sword

D

DaveinNY

Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
735
I picked this up with a collection of WWI items I recently purchased. Researching was not much help, other than the D guard looks to be German style, while the inscriptions are possibly Turkish? So what do you think ? Does it fit in with the WWI time period?

scimatar2.jpg


scimatar3.jpg


scimatar1.jpg


scimatar4.jpg


scimatar5.jpg
 
wow, what an interesting sword.

the blade shape is deffinatly middle eastern shamshir.
the lion in a pope hat carrying a flag is a christian symbol.

turkey is a good place to find muslim styled swords with christian symbols so i like turkish idea.

inscription is deffinatly not arabic or farsi...again turkish??

i'm pretty good at telling where something should have come from by it's looks, but age an authenticity i'm still working on... so your guess is as good as mine on it's age.

edit: try the guys at sword forum int. they are excellent at sword id and have some experts on middleeastern stuff.
 
Thank you both for responding.

elysum, the sword on the Ancient East site matches perfectly. Doing a little more searching brought up the name Gurade as the style of the sword, is this correct?
Also would the time period around WW1 be correct in dating it?
Again thanks for the help.
 
The sword is an Ethiopian GURADE (Ethiopian word for sword or sabre). It is most likely a German blade. The hilt is European as well. The scabbard would have been made in Ethiopia using raw hide covered with thin, red, tooled leather. The lanquettes carry on one side the Lion of Judah wearing the Ethiopian crown and carrying the Ethiopian flag. The other side has the Ethiopian letter "M" for Menelik II, Emperor of Ethiopia. The blade has two inscriptions: one side MENELIK, and the other SAINT GEORGE (Protector of Ethiopia). The writing on the ricasso refers to a certain NIKOLA (probably Armenian) SUPPLIER TO THE EMPEROR. It would date 1890 to 1910 Cheers, RON
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top