Description

An interesting single-edged shortsword, in the style of the Persian qadara.

It has a straight blade with clipped tip and a sharp backedge. Both sides with complex and precisely cut fullering. They consist of a wide main fuller in the center of the blade, bordered by a narrow groove that goes all around it. Another, narrower groove runs along the spine. The grooves run all the way into the hilt on the left side, but on the right the forte is raised in the larger fuller and for a small portion of the two top grooves.

The main fullers are etched to show swirling lines in a way that reminds of some of the work of Jackson Pollock, which is of course completely unrelated.

The hilt has a full tang construction with horn scales, held by three rivets with ornamental heads on the right side.

A very rare substyle of which I have not found any direct comparables.

Some minor edge damage. No scabbard.

Mark

There is a small teardrop-shaped maker's stamp on the forte:

علی

"Ali"