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A FINE OTTOMAN PALA SWORD

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:NA Estimated At:7,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
A FINE OTTOMAN PALA SWORD
Auctions Imperial is pleased to announce our 2013 sale, to be held March 16 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Timonium, Maryland. Over 300 lots of choice antique arms and armor including armor, helmets, shields, swords, daggers, battleaxes, maces, halberds, matchlocks, flintlocks and percussion pieces will be offered. Our fine selection for 2013 includes broadswords, baskethilts, shamshirs, shashkas, palas, kindjals, khanjars, tulwars and spears, as well as chain mail and breastplates. This sale will also include important swords and daggers from the Greek War of Independence and the armor of the K...

A rare example of classic form, probably Ottoman Court Workshop. The rhinoceros grips finely carved, the mounts of silver, superbly embossed and chased in relief with stands of arms amongst flowering vines. The broad, T-section blade fullered and paneled at the yelman, or back edge, wrought of finely pattern-welded damascus steel, with elaborate gold-inlaid panels to each side of the forte. At the right, THERE IS NO HERO BUT ‘ALI and THERE IS NO SWORD BUT ZULFAQAR, and at the left, ALLAH! TUKLAT ‘ALI! beneath a further, untranslated inscription. With further goldwork at the base of the yelman on either side. In its leather-covered wooden scabbard finely mounted in silver, en suite with the hilt. Mid-18th century. Gold very lightly rubbed. Kilic formerly in the collection of noted Polish artist Juliusz Kossak (1824-1899,) well-known for his military portraits and panoramic battle scenes. Kossak was a friend of poet Adam Mickiewicz and author Henryk Sienkiewicz, and illustrator of both their works. Overall length 87 cm.
Condition I