RSword Antique Blades

Nice Indian Dhal Shield of Translucent Leather with Painted Designs. This is a good sized shield measuring 19 1/2” wide and 19 1/4” tall. It is made from some type of leather, likely rhino or elephant, and it sports a translucent quality. When you hold it up in the sunlight you can see through the shield from the back. The front of the shield is textured so am assuming this is the nature texture of the skin of the animal. There are four brass bosses to the front of the shield. The shield has a rim around the entire outer edge with just some very minor warping. There are four scenes painted on the front of the shield featuring a Tiger in the midst of the hunt. In two of the scenes the Tiger is biting the back of a deer. In two the Tiger is biting the back of what looks like a very large lizard. Assuming that due to the green paint. There is also a single flower painted in the middle section between the bosses. There is some other artwork in this area but it is faded a bit. The reverse side of the shield is leather that really highlights the translucent nature of the leather. It is missing its hand pad but the four metal rings still remain. Some minor scrapes to the leather on the back. A nice Indian shield.

$695

Late 19th century rare Indian Childs Shield from Moradabad. Late 19th century Moradabad was a famous production center of brasswares. This example follows this style as the brass shield is chiseled so the design is raised. The raised motifs in polished brass were selectively tinned to appear as silver and gold. The pattern on the surface of the shield are very finely chiseled vines and flowers along with some fish motif. Lovely decoration where the vinework is chiseled in high relief and there is a black lacquer applied background to offer contrast to the silver and gold colors. The back of the shield is made of a brass plate that is folded over the rims and is entirely tinned and polished for a bright silver look. There is a green velvet pad with four rings. A very lovely and rare shield.

$495

Indian Sossun Pata sword with silver koftgari handle and thickened blade tip. This sword measures 31 1/2” in total length measured without scabbard. The handle is very nice. It is a tulwar style handle with a blackened background that accentuates the silver koftgari pattern that runs around the edges and with the floral design in the center. The koftgari also goes around the rim of the pommel cap and on top of the pommel cap are more silver koftgari flowers. Some minor grind marks visible in the handle upon close inspection but is mostly obscured by the darkened background. The forward curving blade in the Sossun Pata style. There are 38 chiseled decorations along the spine with black patina inside (32 along the spine on the opposite side of the blade). There are 10 of the same decoration along the cutting edge (9 on the opposite side). At each end of these decorations are some carved line decorations. The tip of the blade is thickened like you see on katar daggers. The storage scabbard is a light wood covered in red velvet. An interesting Indian sword.

$895

Very good Chinese Dagger with spear point blade with fine carved grip. This knife measures 10 1/2” in total length. The handle is very nice. It is wood which has been finely carved. The wood and the carvings are crisp and in excellent condition. There is a brass ferrule above and below the grip. There is a pommel nut on top of the ferrule with recessed edges in alternating sections. The crossguard is oval in shape and features a second brass plate that is slightly smaller. The blade is double edged and in a spear point bowie knife style. The blade shows evidence of laminations and you can see the quench line on both sides of the blade when it was forged. The tip of the blade has rounded over time. This is a smaller than usual example and a bit uncommon with the double edged spear point style blade. The wood and carvings are also above average. Possibly the knife of a woman or a child. But definitely belonged to a person of some means.

$695

Very good Chinese dagger with laminated blade. This knife measures 12 1/8” in total length. The handle is wood with an oval cross section. The wood grip has a checquered design with an interlocking Chinese design around the perimeter. There is a brass ferrule at the top and bottom of the grip. There is a brass pommel plate with a decorative washer to the top. The crossguard is clover shaped. The single edged blade has a thick spine and features strong laminations along the cutting edge on both sides of the blade. It is an interesting size for this type of knife. A bit smaller than you usually see which makes me think this may have belonged to a woman, an adult male of small stature or even possibly a juvenile or child. It is made for business with the quality blade and well carved handle so definitely someone of a bit of means. Likely mid to late 19th century.

$695

Chinese Dao sword with laminated blade. This sword measures 30” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood and curves downward. it has a tan braided rope wrap with a missing section. The pommel is brass of good patina. There is a brass ferrule and an undecorated brass guard. The scabbard is green rayskin over wood with some losses to the rayskin. The mounts on the scabbard are all brass and undecorated to match the handle fittings. The lightweight blade has good springiness and flexibility and is finely laminated. You can see the layering of the blade through the patterns present along the cutting edge on both sides. There is a wider fuller and a smaller fuller that run along the spine on both sides of the blade. This sword would date to the late 19th century. It is not a combat sword. It might be a parade saber of a junior military person or it could be a private civilian purchase sword for personal use. A complete example with very nice blade.

$695

Nice beefy Nepalese Kukri sword. This is a good large example that likely dates to the mid to late 19th century. It measures 19” when measured from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade in a straight line and this measurement is without scabbard. The handle is wood with a raised disc in the center of the grip and some carvings below that. Steel bolsters sit at the base of the grip. The beefy blade is forward curving with a long graceful curve along its thick spine. The hand forged blade shows some heat treat effects along the body of the blade. The beveled edge shows some sharpening marks. There are two small fullers at the forte that run along the spine down to about the point where the spine starts to curve back down towards the tip. The scabbard is leather over wood with two side knives contained in a pouch on the reverse side. Above the two side knives is another pouch inside the top sleeve which sometimes contains a small prayer book. A good quality and early Kukri sword.

$249

Indian Javelin spear with silver koftgari. This Javelin measures 27 1/4” in total length. It is all steel with a four sided javelin style blade that has worn silver koftgari on all sides. This piece screws into the shaft. There are two bulbous sections at the bottom of the javelin that are spaced so that it can act as a grip. The bulbs and the grip section have silver koftgari that is worn and covered in patina. It would probably show better with some cleaning. There are three other bands of silver koftgari on the shaft that, like the other areas, are well worn but the silver would come out better with some TLC. There is some tape residue at the top of the shaft near the four sided blade.

$175

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

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

Very large and unusual Filipino Tboli or Bagobo Kampilan sword with figural handle. This is the largest Tboli or Bagobo sword I have ever owned or seen. It measures 35 1/4” in total length when measured in its scabbard. It takes the form of a Kampilan sword both in handle and blade type. The handle is cast brass and is covered with decoration throughout. The form of the handle is that of a Moro Kampilan sword. You can see the crocodile jaw and then the guard is cast with the iron loop staple like you see on some Moro Kampilan. There are also a row of loops at the top of the crocodile head which likely had bells attached at one time. Sitting at the base of the crocodile jaw is a figure which seems to be in traditional costume. There are bangles around the arms and the lower leg. There is some type of necklace and the figure seems feminine as they are wearing a dress. She has long pulled back hair. She is holding a stinged instrument, maybe a leyte, perhaps singing a song to sooth the crocodile! There is also a saramanok head at the top of the guard. The blade is a Kampilan style blade. It is single edged and features a single protrusion at the end next to the tip. The scabbard is two wood halves with geometric decorations to both sides. There are metal bands, likely tin or some other form of pot metal, in four spots between the carvings. There is some black dye filling in the background of the geometric designs. with some loss to some of the black coloring in areas but about 60% remaining throughout the scabbard. Some areas of wood loss to the side. This is a one of a kind piece with a very cool handle with figure and a nice scabbard with tribal decorations throughout. Likely circa 1940’s. Rare piece.

$895

Superb African Dahomey Fon Benin sword with animal features. This is one of the nicest Dahomey swords I have seen or owned. it is a nice old one dating to the 19th century. It measures 25 1/4” in total length. The handle is wood with lovely rich patina with an animal head pommel. The back of the handle with ridges. There is the outline of an old sticker on one side that should clean off fairly easily. The ferrule is steel or iron with good patina. Very elaborate guard with one side where the iron/steel is rolled up with a seed pearl at the center. On the opposite side is an upturned shell guard with incised lines on the surface. The steel blade has a rich dark patina. It is a solid steel blade. Not flimsy metal. At the forte of the blade on both sides you have a leaf shaped cartouche with chiseled lines inside and below of it. Most of the surface of the blade beyond this cartouche features semi-circle decorations and the blade sweeps up at the end and finishes in an animal head, likely a big cat, with open mouth, eye hole and two small ears. A fine quality Dahomey sword.

$795

Nice 19th century Chinese Dao sword with powerful blade. This sword measures 31” in total length. The handle features a wood grip that has been painted red with a green cord wrapped grip. The pommel, ferrule and guard are brass. The pommel features a dragon decoration. The ferrule sports floral decorations. The cup guard has nice floral decorations. The grip and the guard are a bit loose so there is a fair amount of wiggle to them. The blade is a strong and powerful blade. It features a very thick spine and then there is a large hump at the end of the spine which then drops down to a long false edge. There is a fuller that runs along the spine on both sides. There are some etched lines on both sides at the forte mimicking a tunkou. The general shape of the blade reminds me of Chinese Polearm blades. This could be a cut down polearm blade remounted in dao style. A very cool looking piece.

$995

African Luba Axe with lovely female face. This axe measures 15 3/4” in length. The axe head measures 5 1/4” long and the cutting edge is 3 1/2” wide. The shaft is a light wood of a brown color with the very bottom of the handle carved in a lovely female face. The back of her head is flat with a cross shape with twisted rope style carvings throughout. The face just has very well defined features and to my eyes takes on a very elegant look. There is an age crack to one side next to the ear but not on the face. The face is without blemish. The axehead with 3 holes. These axes with sculpted female heads were ceremonial and belonged to high ranking member of the society.

$149

Unusual and Old Ethnographic Tribal Staff with spearhead. I have been collecting for nearly 40 years and I have seen a tremendous amount of weapons over the years but it amazes me that I continue to find items I have never seen before. It is fun to try and figure out where these objects come from. This object measures 66 1/2” in total length. It looks like a prestige staff that has had a spearhead affixed to the bottom of it at some point in its life. The top has an acorn shaped finial with a brass wire wrapped around the base that comes up on the finial into a spiral shaped finish. There is also a brass cap on top of the finial. Below this area is a wide, stepped and ridged section with brass tacks in the sides and also on the front. There is a brass plate on one of the ridges and remnants of another one on the opposite side. From there down the shaft is interesting. It has sections that are faceted and sections that are round. In the lower section of the staff is a carved round disc. On both sides the wood is carved in a way to make it looks like the disc is attached in between two sections. It seems to be mimicking something more mechanical in nature. There are various carved zig zag lines. There are crown shaped brass bands along with metal wire wrapped around the shaft in sections. The very bottom has a rather crude spearhead attached by nails. I am stumped by this one. It has a very tribal or ethnographic feel to it and the way it has been carved in wood seems in imitation of something much more Western in nature. Often times, when tribal people came in first contact with Westerners they would carve in wood things they had seen made out of metal. A very interesting object that is worth some additional research.

$495

Very fine 19th century Moroccan Beehive studded powder flask. This is a very nice powder flask that measures 12 1/2” tall from the top of the spout to the bottom of the flask. The height of the “beehive” is approximately 6 1/4” high. The width of the powder flask at its widest point is 8 1/2”. The spout is made of leather with some line decoration to the front. There is a bit of leather loss on the backside. The body of the flask is sort of badge/shield shaped with a tall beehive raising up from the center. The entire beehive as well as the perimeter is covered in brass studs. The back of the flask is covered in a thin leather with more geometric line decorations. There are two large brass oval rings with a chain attached to one. A very good powder flask in very good condition overall.

$395

Fantastic Naval Sailors Truncheon. When at sea, the leader of the crew needed things to keep his men in line. Men that had severe penalties would be lashed or put to death at sea. If you had someone just goofing off and didn’t want to hurt them too bad this truncheon would get their attention. The crew leader would pop you in the hand or on the head as a warning to get back to work and straighten up. This truncheon measures 9 1/2” long. The head of it is finely woven rope or twine that has some sponginess to it but the core is likely lead or some other hard object because when you tap yourself with it, it will sting a bit. The base of the woven rope is a metal wire wrap. It is mounted on a turned wooden handle with a finial at the base. Very much reminiscent of police truncheons of the 18th and 19th century as far as the handle goes but the woven ball head has a much stronger Naval feel to it. It has been preserved in remarkable condition and is a very cool relic of the sea.

$395

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

Very good well made African axe from Tanzania. This axe measures 22 1/4” from the bottom of the shaft to the top. The steel axe head measures 10” from the cutting edge to the back of the spike. The cutting edge is 2 1/4” wide. Very good and well forged steel for the axe head. There is a raised median ridge down the center and then one side with a hollow grind to the edge and the opposite side is more level with the ridge line. The wood has a nice glossy patina to it. Feels like an older axe so likely the first half of the 20th century.

$125

Very Heavy African Axe of the Songye. This axe has a lot of weight and heft so it was made for a particular use in mind that needed a strong and heavy axe to stand up to it. Could be a wood axe for gathering honey in tough spots. It measures 18” from the bottom of the shaft to the top of the shaft. The blade measures 8 1/4” from the cutting edge to the small spike sticking out on the opposite side of the shaft. It was likely longer as the bottom of the shaft is squared off but the patina matches the rest of the handle so this happened a long time ago. It is a thick and heavy darkwood and it shows a lot of wear/use at the top near the blade. You can see a number of dings and other scars that come from traditional use. The axe head is made for use. The spine of the blade is 1/2” thick. It tapers down a good bit to the edge. The blade has a black patina except for the cutting edge. It has been maintained from use and sharpening’s so that along the cutting edge the metal is much brighter. A very solid and heavy axe that was well used within the tribe.

$99

Indian Khanda hilted saber with fine damascus wootz shamshir blade. This sword measures 39 1/2” in total length. The handle is a khanda hilt. The grip is wrapped in red velvet (likely a later replacement) with a short stubby spike on the top that is faceted. The knucklebow on the side has nice chiseling. The four faces of the guard that face the langets on each side show a nice pattern welded pattern. The blade is a very nice Persian shamshir blade with a lovely wootz pattern. The pattern is active and consistent throughout both sides of the blade. There is some old scabbard wear marks to the surface of the blade (no scabbard remains). One side of the blade has a section of pitting. A very nice sword.

$3495

Ethiopian military sword with decorated inscribed german blade. This sword measures 36” in total length when measured in a straight line from the tip of the blade to the top of the handle. The handle is a very European style handle with leather grip with twisted brass wire and a steel backstrap, knucklebow and a single langet on one side. The langet has the Ethiopian lion marking. The blade is German. It has a G G marking at the forte with a thermometer or some type of symbol beneath it. The curved saber blade has worn etched decorations on both sides. At the center of the blade on each side is an inscription in Ethiopian. Nice leather scabbard with some fur remaining on it. The very tip of the leather scabbard is curved up but this doesn’t prevent the sword from being inserted into the scabbard.

$395

Nice African Mangbetu Sickle Shaped Trumbash Sword. This sword measures 14 3/4” tall when measured from the top of the blade to the bottom of the pommel. The blade is 7 3/4” wide when measured slightly diagonally from the tip of the blade to the widest point on the outer edge. The handle is a black wood with a large round pommel. The grip has both twisted metal wire as well as a few bands of untwisted metal bands. The blade is deeply curved with sharp edges and point. There are 3 holes constructed in the blade towards the forte. Thick medial ridge through the central section. Two protrusions at the edges towards the hilt. A very attractive sword.

$149

Excellent Filipino Spanish American war period sword with fine woven rattan scabbard. This sword measures 25 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle consists of a carabao horn grip with an iron pommel and ferrule. The blade is straight and finishes in a clip point like a bowie knife. The cutting edge is very sharp. There are edge nicks in several places along the edge so this sword has seen some action. The scabbard is pretty cool and well made. It has a wood core with a leather wrap at the top with flap used as a belt loop. The entire scabbard has been wrapped in rattan that was coated with a substance that hardened the rattan. That coating has created a very strong and durable wrap on the scabbard that could potentially be used to deflect sword blows. I haven’t seen another scabbard quite like it especially on pieces from the Spanish Colonial Period. A very nice battle tested sword.

$325

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

Superb Moro Kampilan sword with iron staple guard and colorful munsala textile. This Kampilan is in top condition with several rare features. This sword measures 38” in total length. The handle consists of a long grip which is wrapped with 3 sections of braided rattan. The rattan has a wonderful patina. These rattan sections slide up and down the grip. At the end of the handle is the crocodile mouth, very nicely carved with no chips or breaks and of excellent patina. There is a metal coin or disc on one side with a bronze or brass tack acting as an “eye” for the crocodile mouth. The opposite side is missing the coin and tack. The crossguard is wood, with matching patina to the handle, with an iron staple guard. It has 5 waves on one side with 2 loops on the opposite side. The iron staple is still tight to the handle. Lovely carvings throughout the handle and guard. The blade is very sharp and shows a heat treated edge. This shows prominently on one side as a darkened hamon. The blade has some oxidation but is in good condition overall. The munsala textile is tied to the grip with a yellow chord. This is one of the longest and most intact Munsala I have seen. It is 35” long when stretched out. It is made of two strips of cloth that are sewed together the first 12” and then the rest it splits apart. The textile has a black background and has hundreds of threads sewed into the background in various patterns and colors. Really quite an extraordinary piece of textile. One of the nicest Kampilan I have owned and I have had a lot over the years.

$895

Excellent very long Ottoman Yataghan sword with silver inlaid twistcore damascus blade. This is a long Ottoman Yataghan. It measures 33 1/2” when measured in its scabbard. Lovely walrus ivory grips in very good condition. The walrus ivory slabs secured to the tang band with four hand cut nails on each side. The tang band, the ferrule and the strap at the forte of the blade is made from beaded brass that has a gilt finish. All of these areas in very good condition. Yataghans often have damage in these areas and this example is in very good shape. The forward curving blade with lovely inlaid, as opposed to koftgari, silver decorations and inscriptions. There are a few minor areas where a piece of silver has popped out but about 95% of the silver inlay remains. The blade is forged of at least 5 and maybe 6 or 7 rows of twistcore. This pattern is on the upper half of the blade with the lower half of the blade likely an inserted high carbon edge. There are a few minor areas of pitting and oxidation but generally and overall the blade is quite clean. The scabbard is leather over wood with a coil stitch seam to the reverse. A very nice, large, Ottoman Yataghan with fine blade.

$2500

Interesting Sumatran or Sulawesi Pedang sword with unusual handle style. This sword measures 28 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is quite unusual. It is made of wood and it curves down and then back. Its shape almost reminds me of a finger with the tip pulled back. There are some V shaped carvings on the back of the grip. I have seen unusual handle styles in some of the daggers of the area and this seems to be a larger take on one of those. The handle has some silver alloy bands at the base, upper portion and the pommel. There is also a tear drop shaped silver or silver alloy guard. It is made in two pieces with the upper piece pulling back slightly. The blade is quite nice. It is a pedang style blade of very fine damascus steel in a topographical pamor pattern. The blade has been traditionally washed where the blade pattern can be felt with your finger tips when you run it across the blade. Very fine layering and pattern throughout. The scabbard is a silver alloy over wood with floral and other decorations throughout. A very unusual Pedang sword with quality fittings and very fine damascus blade.

$795

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

Dayak Borneo Beaded Baby Carrier with Batik Cloth Backing and Ornamentation. It stands about 13 1/2” high and is about 14” wide. The entire front of the carriage is covered in colored beads. You have a main white central figure with two dragons to each side, one orange and one green. You also have yellow, dark and light blue beads throughout. There is a shell on each side towards the top. Each side with beaded fringe. The shoulder harness is made from rattan. The back of the carrier with a Batik cloth with a black background and the designs in a light purple. Strung across the top are rocks or some type of pod along with 2 dragon faced bells that ring when the carrier is moved. The frame is made of wood. Some dust and dirt in the bottom. Probably dates circa 1930-40’s or thereabouts. An attractive and very decorative, functional item of the Dayaks of Borneo.

$350

Very nice Moro Kris sword with rare brass scabbard. This sword measures 29 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. Very nice and well crafted handle featuring a brass grip and a large wood kakatua pommel with brass plates on each side and a brass strip across the top. The sword fits perfectly into a brass scabbard. The cool thing about the scabbard, besides the very rare feature of it being all brass, is that is has two wood liners in the scabbard to protect the blade. The brass has a nice mellow patina. The wavy blade with two brass clamps. Relatively clean blade with just a few oxidation spots. This is a very nice and well made Moro Kris in very good condition. It would date to the early to mid 20th century.

$895

Very nice early Moro Kris sword. This sword measures 27” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The grip consists of a lovely woven rattan wrap with a diminutive wood kakatua pommel with lovely patina. Very small loss at the beak of the kakatua but it happened a long time ago as the patina matches the rest of the hilt. The fretwork on the blade is very elaborate. Some of the nicest carving I have seen on a Moro Kris before. The double edged blade has an interesting slight curvature to it. A gradual forward curve when you hold it sideways. The blade has some darkened zones along the lower half of the blade from the heat treat of the high carbon edge. The upper half of the blade has some very interesting crystallization going on that gives it a damascus looking appearance but is likely from the type of ore used and some of the heat treatment, forging methods. The scabbard is wood with some losses at the top piece. The sword is 19th century with the scabbard probably an early 20th century replacement.

$695

Indian bullova axe of the Chota Nagpur with very rare brass blade. The shaft measures 34 1/4” measured from the bottom of the metal mount to the top of the wood. The brass blade measures 9 1/4” from the back of the poll to the furthest tip. It is 8” at its widest point. I have looked through all my resources and online and I can’t find another example with a brass blade. This makes it quite rare and special. The brass has been shaped exactly like a steel blade taking on the normal contours you would see on a steel blade. There are decorations around the poll. The wood shaft shows a lovely reddish brown patina. There was likely some type of finial at the top of the shaft that is now lost to time. The very bottom of the wood shaft with a fine brass end piece. At the top there is a metal strip that runs beneath the head with brass bands wrapped around the metal strip to secure it tightly. Seems it is there to stabalize the axe head. A very fine and rare variant of the Indian Bullova.

$795

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

Heavy fighting Indian tulwar sword with great pattern welded blade. This sword measures 34 1/4” in total length. The tulwar handle has a nice smooth dark patina to it. The sword has a lot of heft to it. Very solid feeling sword. It has a beveled edge and thick spine. The blade is pattern welded and you can see the faint patterns on the surface of the blade. There are wavy laminations along with cutting edge and also up at the spine with some circular patterning in the central portion of the blade. A good fighting sword.

$425

Very good Indian Coorg Ayda Katti sword with horn handle. This example measures 20” in total length. The blade measures 13 1/4” in length and is 4 1/2” at its widest point. The grip is a dark horn, likely water buffalo, with the upper portion of the grip chequered. There is a hole towards the top of the grip that goes through that would have accommodated a lanyard. The lower portion of the grip is smooth with dot in circle motif. The pommel is a lighter color horn, most likely a rare albino water buffalo horn, with dot in circle motif all around the pommel. There is a brass washer on the top of the pommel. The pommel has a bit of wiggle as the grip likely shrank a tad bit with age. The ferrule is a very nice thick waisted block. The upper portion of the blade at the ferrule is square with some chiseled decoration. Collection number label on one side. The blade with sharp, beveled edge. Some oxidation and minor pitting on the blade but surface of blade is smooth to the touch. A fine and not too common Coorg weapon.

$995

Very good silver mounted Sumatran Sikin Panjang sword. This sword measures 28 7/8” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle is wood with a very nice patina. It has a forked ending and detailed carvings in the grip and on the top and bottom of the forked pommel. The carving on the grip has raised lines creating a border with the interior finished in a checquered design. There is some wood loss on the top of the upper forked end and some chips to the wood on the opposite forked end. The bolster is steel in a crowned design. The blade is forged of pattern welded damascus steel. You can see the layered pattern throughout the blade. The scabbard is quite nice. It is wood with a very nice carved top piece. There is a chip to the wood on one side and the end on one side is squared off but done a long time ago as the patina matches the rest of the wood. There are 4 wide silver bands along the scabbard. A very nice Sumatran Aceh sword.

$625

Very nice Ottoman shamshir with gold work on handle and wootz blade. This is a long shamshir measuring 38 1/4” in total length when measured in a straight line from the top of the pommel to the tip of the blade. The handle consists of rhino horn slabs and a steel tang band that is covered in very nice gold koftgari. There are a few bug nibbles to the grip mostly on one side. The cross guard is quite nice, is steel, and has a lovely gold koftgari decoration on most of the surface area. The pattern is en suite with the tang band. The curved blade is forged of damascus wootz steel. The pattern is consistent and shows as a flowing, wood grain type pattern. There is remnants of a cartouche on one side but only the cross hatching remains. A good quality Ottoman shamshir.

$2400

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

Very good silver and ivory mounted Laotian dha dagger. This knife measures 22 3/4” in total length when measured in its scabbard. The handle consists of a tusk shaped ivory section with nicely carved silver ferrule. The blade with thick spine and is narrower at the forte and center of the blade before widening and then having a strong taper to the tip. The scabbard is silver with lovely carved floral decorations. Nice, braided rope baldric attached to the top scabbard mount.

$695

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

Rare African Ivory handled dagger of the Yao tribe in Mozambique. This knife measures 13 1/4” in total length. The handle is a very large ivory tusk section. Very thick and chunky grip with two nails to each side. The grip is split on the sides for the tang and bolster to be inserted. There are a number of circle decorations throughout. The bolster is steel with a ribbed flat section next to the blade. The blade with double fullers on each side and symbols on the blade on one side near the forte. Possibly psuedo European blade markings done in imitation. The blade with some dark oxidation to each side. A few nicks along the edge. These are fairly rare. There are a number of examples referenced in the British Musuem that were field collected in the early 20th century around Mocimboa Da Praia in Portuguese East Africa, Mozambique. Likely late 19th to early 20th century.

$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

Very nice Arabian Zanzibar Saif Nimcha sword. This sword measures 40” in total length. The handle is either horn or wood. It has a very deep and rich patina so difficult to determine. The nimcha style pommel is covered in a brass cap also of very lovely patina. The ferrule, knucklebow and the ring guard are all steel. The slightly curved blade, probably of European manufacture, with complex fullering. The blade with good patina. A nice and old, probably late 18th to early 19th century, Arabian Saif sword.

$695

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