An 18/19th century Ottoman dagger with a jade hilt set with ...

Hammer

£8,000

An 18/19th century Ottoman dagger with a jade hilt set with precious stones, and a gilt hand-worked scabbard. Blade inscribed with 'hafez' meaning 'guardian'/ 'protector' in Arabic.

Materials: Jade, gold, silver, rubies, emeralds (?) and Steel.

The hilt is formed of a single block of Jade with absolutely no faults. The colour is not the traditional green, but rather of a light white colour. The pommel is inlaid with a thick and bright layer of gold vines and flowers. These vines are crafted to precision and to house the en suite rubies that form the flower heads.

The gold work and red rubies encapsulate royalty and provide a splendid contrast to the light hilt and the present example has profound comparable examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession Number: 23.232.1).

…flamboyant gem-studded weapons that were probably made in Istanbul in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Their traditional shapes and luxurious materials were intended to evoke romantic notions of the exotic orient, Arabian Nights, or perhaps the sultan’s treasury. (The Met Museum, Accession number 23.232.6a, b)

At the forte of the serpentine shape blade, there is elegant, and greatly preserved, gold damascened work, with kofgari design and Quranic script. The accompanying scabbard is also very fine with an intricate, handworked chased design with applied gold decorations at either end. 

Overall, this is a rare type of dagger. It is in very fine condition with a fantastic gem-set and gold embossed Jade hilt. The blade is also immaculate. A rare collectible item.

Dimensions:
11 inches (length with scabbard)
7.5 inches (scabbard length)