19th C. Ottoman Turkish Straight Sword Shamshir mounts, with early wootz blade, 16th-17th century

A quite fascinating sword and large Ottoman straight sword. From outward appearances it has standard but fine quality iron and silver decorated Ottoman mounts of the 19th C. though the straight form belies that the blade is quite an interestingsurvivor of early form.

The blade is of straight formrarely found on Ottoman or Islamic swords from this region (except the Omani kattaras, which themselves may have been later intepretations of earlier forms), and which are found primarily on fine Persian blades often decorated with gold dragons at the ricasso and which are found in princely collections throughout Europe (see Elgood (ed.) Islamic Arms and Armor 1979).

The straight blade is forged entirely offine quality, likely Persian origin kara taban, wootz. The blade has been cleaned over centuries and displays spots of pittingbut retains its complete and original form which shows that it had a yelman even in its straight form,highly uncommon on straight swords of any period. The blade retains its stiffnessand has an overall lenticular form.

While difficult to assign an exact date to the blade, our best intepretation of the form, condition, and composition places it as an Ottoman blade of the 17th century or earlier, perhaps of Persian origin,eventually mounted in 19th C. Ottoman mounts.

Overall length is 39, blade is 33.