RSword Antique Blades

Very fine quality Indian Bhuj Axe with elephant head and gilt mounts. This example is about as good as it gets and is on par with a number of examples in the Wallace Collection, pictured on pages 64-65 of their Catalog of Arms and Armour, several examples in Bob Hales book Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour on page 300. There is an example in the British Royal Collection that was presented to Edward VII as Prince of Wales by the Raja of Rajpipla in Gujarat during his royal tour in 1875-76. This example measures 25 1/2” in total length. The shaft of the axe is gilt axe. the gilt is nearly 100% intact and the entire shaft is covered in floral decoration. At the base of the shaft is a finial that will unscrew and reveal a dagger. At the opposite end of the shaft is a very well carved elephants head. It has ruby red pastes for eyes, two ruby red pastes at the top of its head and an emerald green paste on the base of its head. The elephant is carved with curled trunk and tusts. The blade has a recurved tip with strong median ridge and a curving edge from the spine. The blade has floral decoration that is done in a gilt silver koftgari. There is a rust patch on one side that has bubbled through the koftgari and a few other areas of oxidation. The scabbard has a wood core with fine gilt copper mounts that are finely chiseled in floral designs. the mid-section is velvet. The velvet was originally a dark crimson red as can be seen beneath the mounts. So the exposed velvet has faded over time. There is a stain on the velvet on one side. The mouth of the scabbard is scalloped to perfectly fit the elephant head. A very high quality Indian Bhuj that is on par with examples from the finest collections.

$3495

Lovely gold mounted Arabian Saif sword. This sword measures 40 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle consists of bone slab grips with three rose gold rivets on one side and three silver rivets on the opposite side. The tang band is probably a low karat gold with very nice decorations. Gold wire wraps the upper langet of the cross guard where it fits into the grip. The pommel cap is a very high karat gold, probably 18K and has decorations on the surface. The steel cross guard has a gilt silver overlay which is quite nice. The blade is very European in style. It has a thickened rounded spine with a hollow grind beneath it and then a beveled edge. The blade with oxidation throughout. The scabbard is lovely. The upper scabbard mount appears to be a gilt silver with very nice decorations. Two suspension mounts with one missing its ring. There is old brown leather in the center section that has some crackling going on but minimal flaking at this stage. At the base of the leather section is an 18 karat gold mount with lovely tendril and floral carving. Very long scabbard chape of silver with gold medallion cartouche running the full length. Thin gold plaques, the color suggestive of rose gold, inlaid in these cartouche and each plaque with decorative carving. These gold mounted swords were often gifts of the King of Saudia Arabia. A fine Arabian sword.

$3995

Silver hilted Persian Qajar Period revival sword with Yemeni style handle. This sword measures 40 1/4” in total length. The handle is silver and the general shape and style of the handle is a very early style. You also see Yemeni swords with this style of handle which is a hold over from the 16th/17th century. In the 19th century, there was a revival period where swords were made in imitation of the early 16th century swords. The silver hilt has carved floral decorations. The blade is a Persian Qajar period revivalist blade. It is broad and double edged like the early Arab blades and made more thin and flexible. The entire blade on both sides has been etched in Arabic script. There is one square cartouche on each side with an etched royal looking figure with some bird motif. The tip of the blade is rounded but made that way. A very attractive sword and quite rare with the handle style.

$995

Rare large 19th century Filipino Talibon sword with partial scabbard. These large and old Talibon swords are getting very hard to find. This example measures 27 1/4” in total length when measured without its scabbard. The handle is lovely. It has the large pommel with downturned wings with beautiful carving on one side and the opposite side with no carving but fine faceting. Very good rattan wrapped grip. One of the downturned “wings” has lost about an 1” otherwise the handle is intact. There is one crack at the very tip of the pommel but it is stable and just a small one. Very thick spine blade with thumb rest as seen on the old 19th century examples. Blade is flat on one side and has a strong beveled edge on the opposite side. The blade is narrow at the forte and then widens to a deep belly and then narrows back to the elongated tip. The scabbard is a partial one. some of the top of it has been lost and the bottom of the scabbard is lost. So about 65-70% of the scabbard remains but you can see it was a quality one. I have this one priced at a good discount given the damage to the scabbard. The last couple of examples I had with full scabbard and in complete condition I sold for north of $1K. This one is being offered at almost half that price so a chance to snag a very good example at a reasonable price.

$550

Silver mounted Arabian Saif sword. This sword measures 38 1/4” in total length. The handle consists of wood slab grips with a decorative silver tang band that runs to the hooked pommel. There is some scrubbing/minor losses to the wood grips. It is missing its pommel cap. The cross guard is silver plated iron. The blade is very European in style featuring a wide fuller running about two thirds the length of the blade and then a smaller fuller just below it for about half of the blade. There is a slight yelman and then a long false edge. The blade is thinner at the double edge section and overall has good flexibility. The blade does have some edge and spine irregularities and some very fine pitting in the fullering and some oxidation in general throughout. The scabbard is lovely. It is silver mounted with a very nice reddish brown leather section. The silver has very nice decorations particularly on the chape as they show as a row of cartouche with floral decorations. The silver is heavily tarnished and with some patience and TLC the silver mounts would clean up nicely.

$1495

Very unusual Filipino probably early Luzon sword. This is a very unique Filipino sword in my experience. I have not seen a handle/pommel style like this one before. I suspect it is an early Luzon piece based on the blade style. Likely mid to late 19th century. This sword measures 24 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood with a lovely reddish brown patina. The pommel is a budding flower with four curled leaves around the outer perimeter and one tall in the center. Each leaf has brass nail decoration. I have not encountered this pommel style before. The base of the grip is wrapped in brass wire with small hand cut nails hammered in just above the brass wire. Brass crossguard. The blade is double edged and slightly curved. There is some carving work at the base of the blade. Strong medial ridge. The blade is quite sharp. Some oxidation throughout. The scabbard is wood. The front side is a wood that matches the handle. Same lovely reddish brown patina. There is brass wire around the top of the scabbard and the very bottom is heart shaped but probably imitating some type of nut. The wood on the back is a light brown. It has been woven into this scabbard through brass wire. It has essentially been stitched into the other piece of wood. There is a block of wood mounted on the back with two rings. The blade is a tight fit into the scabbard. A lovely and rare Filipino sword.

$795

Afghan Khyber Sword with Bird Head Style Pommel. This sword measures 27 1/4” in total length. The handle is in a Pesh Kabz style with a bird beak pommel done in bone. The pommel is a separate piece of bone. The grip slabs with dot in circle motif similar to that seen on some pesh kabz. The bolster and tang band are brass. The blade, which is quite sharp, with T-back spine and hollow ground blade. There is a small fuller running along the spine on both sides. The blade has some oxidation throughout. A nice fighting sword.

$375

Very good Moro Kris sword with laminated stout blade. The sword measures 27 3/4” in total length. The handle is quite nice. The grip is wrapped in rattan and cord that has a jute (organic resin compound) finish. There is a silver band at the top of the wrap with semi-circle motif. The pommel is a lovely banati wood with beautiful grain and patina. There is a chip at each end of the beak and tail but it happened a long time ago as the patina is good there as well. Stout blade with large elephant trunk and nice fretwork. There is a silver asang asang. The blade has laminations down the center section of the blade with the edges darkened from heat treatment. Blade is quite sharp. A lovely Moro Kris from the late 19th to early 20th century.

$325

Very good Ethiopian military sword with a German etched blade. This sword measures 36” long. The handle is in a European style with a grip of wood with twisted brass wire and black metal strips in the grooved grip. The guard and knuckle bow made in one piece. On the guard is a langet on each side. One langet with the Ethiopian royal lion emblem and the opposite side has two letters in Amharic. The guard has some type of silver paint or finish that has worn off in spots. The backstrap and pommel cap are made in one piece with most of the finish worn off exposing a dark oxidized metal beneath. The curved blade is quite nice. It is a German blade. It sports the G G marking with thermometer on one side at the forte. The marking stands for Gebruder Grafrath who was active from 1878 until 1961. This sword would date to the late 19th to early 20th century. On the opposite side of the G G marking is a two line inscription in Amharic. The blade has lovely etched designs on both sides. Both sides around the center portion of the blade have an inscription in Amharic. All in all, a very nice Ethiopian military sword with imported German blade in pretty good condition.

$375

Filipino Bolo Sword with Bakunawa swallowing a tenegre themed pommel. This is a large Bolo type sword measuring 25 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle and scabbard are all made of a light brown wood. The handle has an unusual theme for the pommel. It shows a Bakunawa swallowing a tenegre. The monster has an open mouth with the top teeth overlapping the lower ones. It has bulging eyes and prominent nose. There is a large crack on one side of the handle but it is stabalized as there is no wiggle in the blade on the handle. Likely the tang rusted and the wood shrunk and this caused the split. The blade has a wide deep belly. It measures over 2 1/4” at its widest point. It is quite sharp. The scabbard is a heavy piece of wood with an inlaid piece of wood the reverse side. The wood matches so it may have been made this way or was an early repair done within the culture. The scabbard has some carvings near the top where the rope belt would have been been and also at the very bottom of the scabbard. An unusual Filipino sword in my experience.

$325

Very nice Filipino Bicol bat head dagger. This dagger measures 16 1/2” in total length. The handle is very nice. It features a wood grip with carvings and a nicely carved Bat Head pommel. The eyes are inlaid copper into a brass button and there is a brass washer at the very top of the pommel. The name Phil Lind is carved in the grip. The ferrule is brass. There is a word done in punch dots that I can’t make out but perhaps an island or city name. Below that is what appears to be a date of Sur 8-15-45. This is an important date in the Philippines as it was the surrender of Japan. In the Philippines this date is known as V-J Day or Victory over Japan day. The blade seems to have been made from a file or has a lot of surface scratch marks. It is more narrow at the handle and widens toward the clipped point. There is what looks like a kite or flag decoration on the blade and then L I C in a diamond with three crosses on the inside. The scabbard is wood with nice carvings to the front. The wood to the back of the scabbard is a different color and possibly a later replacement. The very tip of the wood scabbard is broken which allows the tip of the blade to stick through. An interesting and unusual Filipino dagger.

$275

Very nice Ngbandi sword with fine scabbard. It measures 17 3/4” when in its scabbard. The handle is very finely done. The handle is elaborately wrapped in copper wire. There is a steel piece inserted over the top of the pommel. Well forged blade with some rust spots. There are decorations on the blade throughout. Each side of the blade has a sunken panel and a raised side. The scabbard is quite nice. It is leather with fine stitching on the reverse side. The top and bottom of the scabbard with brass wire. There are two bullet casings on the top of the scabbard providing an angled brace for the blade. The very bottom of the scabbard with a steel cover similar to the one on the pommel. A very nice and old Ngbandi sword.

$225

A good old Sumatran rencong dagger. It measures 15 1/4” when measured in its scabbard. The handle is horn with a steel faceted bolster leading to the forward curving laminated blade. There is some oxidation throughout the blade. The scabbard is wood with lovely patina. You can see the old stenciling on the scabbard but it is hard to get under photos. Several sections of the scabbard with that stenciled decoration. Carvings on the throat of the scabbard.

$149

Nice Sumatran Sewar dagger with bird head pommel. This knife measures 13 1/2” when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood and the pommel is carved in the form of a bird. There is an age crack to one side but the handle is stable. Sharp, forward curving blade with oxidation throughout. The scabbard is wood with carved floral bud at the mouth of the scabbard. Bone chape is inserted into the wood.

$149

Very nice African Tuareg Arm dagger. This knife measures 11 1/2” in its scabbard. The handle is very nice. The grip has two sections of leather and one section of reptile skin. There is black leather laced in the reptile leather. The pommel is a metal spike in the shape of an arrowhead. Nice double edged blade with long point. There is a strong median ridge with multiple fullers to each side. There is some rusting on the blade. The scabbard is also very nicely made. It is leather covered in reptile skin with a leather loop used to wear over the arm. There are some patterns created on the front of the scabbard where black leather is woven into the reptile skin. A very nice quality knife.

$115

Absolutely Humongeous Nepalese or Indian Kukri sword. This sword measures 28” in total length and the blade is 3” at its widest point. To give it some scale I have it pictured next to a good sized Kukri that is 20” long. You can see that the proportions of this sword fit quite nicely as far as a Kukri goes but it is just about 50% larger. My guess is that this sword was made for Indian or Nepalese religious ceremonies where they behead an animal. This sword is large enough and has enough heft to it I think it could do the job on a goat or sheep. The handle is wood with a metal pommel cap that has tarnished a black color. There is a diamond shaped washer at the top over the tang pein. The bolster is steel. The blade with forward curve has a beveled edge. It is sharp. There are some grinding/sharpening marks on one side of the blade. The spine is quite thick. This one is quite unique in my experience. I haven’t come across a non-touristy example of this size. Probably dates to the mid 20th century. Rare piece.

$895

Religious ritual sword of the Yoruba people in Nigeria Africa that features an interesting face/head on the pommel. This sword is done in all brass and would date to the late 19th to early 20th century. These swords were ceremonial objects for the Ogun cult of the Yoruba. It features a heavy cast brass grip with a large mushroom cap shaped pommel with a face. You have two eyes, a nose and a mouth. The blade is all brass and features carved decorations throughout on both sides. An interesting and fine African knife.

$395

Unusual African Sword with broad spatulate shaped blade. The sword measures 19 3/4” in total length with a blade that is 5 1/4” at its widest. The handle is wood. the grip has carved spiral desings and the pommel with a crescent moon shape to it with opening below. There are some line carvings around the section below the arched pommel. At the base of the grip is a square shape with carvings. The iron blade is flat, double edged and very broad measuring over 5” wide. It comes to a rounded tip. This is an unusual sword in my experience. I am not sure what region of Africa it is from but am fairly sure it does come from Africa. Perhaps a currency blade or some type of ceremonial piece. An attractive and unusual African sword.

$225

African Sudanese Sword with decorated blade. This sword measures 21 3/4” in total length. The handle is wood with an upswept crossguard that is made integrally with the rest of the grip with has some round, carved features in the lower portion of the grip. The upper portion has a separate wood pommel cap with the tang bent over at the top. There is a small chip on one side of the pommel. The blade is sharp. There are interesting tribal like designs the full length of the blade on both sides.

$149

Very good Balinese Keris handle with multi color stone or glass beads. This Keris handle measures 5 1/2” tall. The brass casting is pretty good with the face showing exellent details as well as the back of the head. The costume around the body also in good detail. There are approximately 40 stone or glass beads imbedded throughout the handle. I’m guessing most of the beads are glass but there could be some stones in the handle. Would make an excellent handle for an unmounted Balinese Keris blade.

$149

Interesting all bronze dagger with Chinese style twelve faceted pommel. I have never had nor seen a similar type of dagger. It measures 8 3/4” in total length. It is an all bronze knife with a double edge blade, slim grip and the pommel is a twelve faceted pommel like you see on Chinese swords and maces. It doesn’t make this knife Chinese though. That is the nearest reference I have for something like this. Could be a currency knife or something used ritualistically. Bottom line is I don’t know what, where or how old this knife is but do know it is pretty cool.

$149

African spear of bronze and iron with figural handle. This spear measures 38” in total length. At one end you have a seated male figure with either a beard or some type of neck ornamentation with hands on knees. Beneath this figure are two squatting figures that have this top figure standing on their head. There is also a wavy snake that is helping to support this figure. The shaft is iron and has some rusting and pitting. The bottom of the spear has a bronze blade that is leaf shaped with an abstract figure beneath it with arms and legs out to the side. Maybe an abstract animal. The tip of the blade is rounded. The blade has some pitting and uneven surfaces. An unusual spear and unlike anything I have seen before.

$175

Very rare 19th century Peruvian stone headed axe with a very, very old label stating it was from a region near the Amazon river in South America. This axe measures 19 1/2” from the top of the shaft to the bottom. At the top a green/black stone is secured to the shaft with cordage that was subsequently covered in a black pitch like material. The black pitch material is starting to crumble in some sections so that the axe head will move around a bit so you have to be careful when handling this axe. The shaft is a brown wood that tapers towards the grip. There is some carved lines just above the label. The label is very old. It is some type of old tape or parchment. It has a leathery look to it but it has a very old patina. The handwriting style is quite old. It feels 19th century to me. The label reads in part “Stone Hatchet made by the Indians in ? ? ? on the river Amazon ? ? ? ? “. Amazonian artifacts from this time period are not very common and a stone axe from this time period is rare. The label definitely adds a lot of history and potential provenance to the piece if all of the words can be made out. Well worthy of additional research.

$895

Unknown ethnographic throwing stick or club. I am leaning towards this piece being either Native American or Australian based on the type of wood, the grain in the wood, and the general design. To me, it feels like a hunting stick used to throw at small game like rabbits. It measures 25 1/2” in total length. It is made of a light weight wood that has a strong longitudinal grain to it. It has a handle that is a comfortable fit for my hand and then it widens before gradually tapering down to a rounded tip. There is a lot of wear along the edges and the tip which would be consistent with this being used as a hunting/throwing stick. Seems to have a lot of age to it. Cool object.

$125

Unusual Filipino Taiwanese Formosan Dagger. I am only aware of a few cultures that do an open faced scabbard like this one. Some of the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan do an open faced scabbard like this. You also see it with some Naga swords, the Lepcha tribe in the Himalayas and some tribes within the Philippines. This piece seems to be an interesting mix of Taiwanese Formosan and Northern Filipino styles. The piece measures 16 5/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood, is faceted with carved 4 leaf floral decoration and tin bands. There is a horn pommel cap at the top and a metal ferrule at the base of the grip. It has been painted red and green with some wear/loss of the paint. The blade is interesting. It has a strong median ridge on one side with a clipped point and a beveled edge. The opposite side has a hollow grind. The scabbard is open faced with a carved flower at the verty bottom. There are tin bands in three sections. The scabbard is painted red with the floral petals being green. Over half of the paint is worn. The red paint is much more of a Formosan thing along with the style of open scabbard. The faceted grip and the tin bands can be either Filipino or Formosan. The floral carvings are more Filipino in style. The blade doesn’t really fit either very well. So it seems to have stylistic influences from both cultures. An interesting piece.

$375

Good African Kaskara sword with lots of blade markings. This sword measures 39 3/4” in total length. The handle consists of a leather grip with a cloth tassel at the top of the grip near the wheel pommel which is also covered in leather. Thick steel crossguard. The upper langet is secured to the grip via several leather strips. The blade is a rigid blade with good temper. So there is some good meat to the bones of this blade. There is a shallow fuller at the forte of the blade on each side. One side has a half moon stamping with some marks on the inside. On each side of the blade around the middle section is an etched panel of Arabic Calligraphy. The inscriptions are untranslated but are likely religious in nature. On one side of the blade there is an orb and cross mark. This is an old European blade marking but I don’t think this is an European blade. I think it is a native made blade and the mark is done in imitation of old orb and cross markings. The opposite side has a marking that looks like the lower half of a lion with its tail. The blade has been sharpened in a way that the lower half of the blade narrows and tapers a bit from the middle and upper half and is not perfectly tapered. The leather scabbard, missing its chape, is nicely tooled with fine decorations. Definitely a good old African Kaskara with interesting marks on the blade.

$795

Arab Palestinian Jordanian Bedouin Shibriya Dagger with rare lithographed scabbard. This knife measures 13 1/4” in total length. This Shabriya is unique and interesting for several reasons. First is the lithograph tin scabbard and band on the handle. Stylistically, it reminds me of old toys and cookie tins from the first half of the 20th century. You have these beautiful star within star design with various colors fit within geometric shapes like squares, triangles, etc. Only the front of the scabbard has been decorated like this. I haven’t seen this design or style of scabbard on any Shabriya or Middle Eastern dagger for that matter. The scabbard has a few dents to the front. The reverse is undecorated with belt clip. The handle is the 2nd unusual thing about this piece. It is made of some type of composite material. I don’t know exactly what it is. I have never seen this material before. It is quite interesting. There are two bands on the handle of the lithographed tin. There are also several rivets in the handle. The blade of typical Shabriya shape. Lots of grind marks left on the surface of the blade so it was never finely polished after it was made. A really unique, one of a kind Shabriya.

$375

Rare Amazonian Paddle War Club of the Ashaninka People, Peru South America. This is a massive club. It measures 55” in total length and is almost 4” wide at its widest point. It is made from a dense wood and features a cloth and string wrap at the grip section which has some loose cloth and string. The club has interesting lines. There is a median ridge line on both sides and the wood slopes away from this and then there is a strong bevel at the edge. Unfortunately, the wood has some losses to one side. It has lost about 3/4” of the wood on the side for about 22”. Was this from use? Hard to say. What makes this example quite nice is the geometric drawings on both sides of the club. They are done in white and is a rare feature. This club likely dates to the first half of the 20th century and is quite a rare club. It is priced accordingly given the damage it has experienced at some point in its life. If in perfect condition this would be a fairly valuable club.

$495

Rare Central Asian Bhukaran Pesh Kabz dagger with armor piercing point. This dagger measures 13” in total length when measured in its scabbard. This dagger features a handle with wood slab grips, the wood with a fine black stripe grain, with tang exposed on each side. The deeply curved blade with T-back spine, hollow grind to the blade and beveled edge. It sports a thickened armor piercing point. The thick spine transitions to a thin spine at the deepest part of the curve. The blade is forged of crystalline damascus wootz steel. The pattern is very fine and difficult to see but it is there. Some surface wear/scratches to the blade as well. The scabbard is a thick piece of leather. The chape is missing on the scabbard so the tip of the blade pokes through. The wood grips give this piece a strong indication it is from Central Asia/Bhukara. A very nice pesh kabz dagger and fairly rare given its likely Central Asia/Bhukara origins.

$895

Fantastic and Rare Carved Ivory Moro Jungayan Barong hilt. This is one of the finest carved ivory handles (one of the few carved ones I am aware of) for a Moro barong that exists. It is a very large handle measuring 7” from the top of the handle to the very bottom. The top of the pommel is huge. It measures 6 1/8” from crest to beak and it is 1 3/8” at its widest point. Each side of the grip and the top of the pommel has very good deeply carved scenes. The sides of the grips with scrolling vine carvings and the top with bamboo and leaves. The style of carving is very Chinese. There are a couple of restorations that are done so well you couldn’t tell unless you looked extremely closely at it. Likely the hilt of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino Datu.

$1800

Nice Algerian Flyssa sword with broader, deeper bellied blade. This sword measures 32 3/4” in total length. The handle is comprised of two slabs of well patinated wood with two rivets on each side to secure the grip to the tang. The bolster is steel and is octagonally faceted with the tang an extension running between the two grip slabs. The blade has a broader center section and a deeper “belly” than what you see on the really long flyssa. This one feels great in the hands and seems a much more practical fighting sword than those really long ones. The blade has brass inlaid decorations along the spine on both sides. Sharp blade. The tip is squared off. The spine has some numeric and symbol markings. A really good Flyssa sword.

$595

Very nice Sumatran Minangkabau Keris with well carved ivory handle. This Keris measures 13” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is in the Jawa Demam form and is lovely for a number of reasons. The first is it has a lovely patina. The second is that most of the surface area has been carved which is an added touch. There may be an old chip in the handle where the arms cross but the patina is very good. The mendak is likely brass or bronze. It has developed a nice green patina and features carvings. The blade is wavy with shallow waves and a median ridge. The blade has a dark patina. The scabbard is very nice. It has a finely grained wood wrangka and the stem is made from a darker wood. The very bottom of the scabbard is made with the same wood as the wrangka. A very nice and complete Minangkabau Keris.

$695

Fine Sumatran Keris Dagger with Rare 21 Luk Blade. This Keris measures 13” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The Jawa Demam style handle is made from ivory and has some carvings throughout the handle. There are a couple of age cracks but the handle is solid to hold. The mendak is either copper or bronze. It has a nice patina and is well made. The blade is amazing given how many luk (waves) are forged into a blade of this size. It has a very strong median ridge and the waves are very well formed. It also has a longitudinal layering type of pamor. The scabbard is wood with brass bands with carved floral decorations. The very bottom of the scabbard is bone or ivory. A very fine Keris.

$695

Rare old Sumatran Keris dagger with fossilized elephant molar handle. This Keris measures 16 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is quite rare. It is in the Jawa Demam form but made from fossilized elephant molar. The handle has a wonderful patina and is well carved. The mendak cup is made from brass or bronze and is undecorated. Strong blade which is narrower towards the forte and then widens around the middle of the blade. It sports a longitudinally layered pamor pattern. The scabbard is wood with a silver band at the top, middle and bottom of the stem. Between the top and middle stem is a braided twine that is made to look like the braided silver wire that is below it and likely a later replacement. The very bottom of the scabbard is wood. A very nice and rare Sumatran Keris.

$750

Fine Sumatran Badek dagger with ivory Parrot handle. This knife measures 8 1/4” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle, done in ivory, depicts a parrot head which is carved in very fine detail. The eyes are done with a black stone which contrasts nicely with the ivory. There is a silver collar just above the bolster. The slightly forward curving blade shows laminations throughout. The scabbard is quite nice as well. The top and bottom piece are made of ivory and the middle stem section is made of a finely grained wood. All in all, a quality knife.

$425

Rare published African sword empute of the Lokele. This sword is pictures on p. 214 of the book “100 African Blades from 55 Collections” by Ethan Rider. He writes:

“Short sword and sheath, empute

Lokele/So/Mba/Angba/Topoke/Genya

Democratic Republic of Congo

Late 19th Century

This empute short sword is impressive without its sheath. It has a heavy pommel made of solid iron, a wood handle wrapped in copper and brass, and a blade that is covered with incredibly precise incising. Most empute blades have no sheath, and some of the few that do have one that is slim and plain. The most elaborate empute swords come with a sheath like the one seen here: oversized and decorated with two huge iron discs. This design element is entirely unique to empute swords and is a beautiful, highly distinctive style. “

Another interesting feature of this piece is the hole at the top of the scabbard. It goes all the way through and is likely a bullet hole. No telling how that got there but what a fascinating story to know. The sword measures 16 1/2” long when measured in its scabbard. A very fine published African sword.

$1495

Book On Damascus Steel by Leo Figiel. 1991 book which was a prelude to the 1998 Butterfields auction of his collection. The book provides commentary around the use and forms of wootz and mechanical steel along with lots of pictures of items from his collection.

$50