This is a reconstructed portion of a full suit of armor that a Turkish soldier would have worn into battle. The chain mail that links the circular breast- and backplates to the steel plates at the sides and shoulders would have continued down over the warrior's forearms and connected with plate coverings that provided further protection from elbow to wrist. (The leather straps are modern replacements for sections of mail.) The soldier also might have been equipped with plate leg guards or with a long skirt or trousers made of mail and reinforced with additional steel plates.
The decoration of the plates features floral motifs, Arabic inscriptions (on the back) and interlaced patterns-decorative elements used throughout the history of Islamic art.For the latest information about this object, body armor, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Ottoman DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style:
Cast from double mold. Oval in cross section; axis of socket running perpendicular to axis of blade. Edges taper from socketed end to sharp end. Network ornamentation on upper third of surface. Socket pierced by transverse perforation probably for nail. Sharp edge slightly flares from body of celt. Socket encircled by ridge.
UE IV: celts of polished diorite, basalt, jasper, steatite and quartzite, 19 in all. (see also Baghdad: B.20749, B.20753, B.20758, B.20762, B.20763; London: British Museum 124514-21; and 32-40-109-115)
The Turkish arms and armor collected during the 1500s and 1600s in Habsburg circles were either trophies of a feared enemy or diplomatic gifts. They reflected efforts to repel the invasions of Europe by successive sultans of the Ottoman dynasty, who, as caliphs-successors of the prophet Muhammad as leaders of Islam-considered themselves obliged to wage holy wars against non-Muslims. The Ottoman Empire, with its capital at Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey), reached its height as a world power during the reign of Suleiman I the Magnificent (r. 1520-66) whose European incursions reached as far as Vienna. The Habsburgs led the defense of Christian Europe: the Spanish branch, at sea and in North Africa, and the Austrian branch, on land, with a decisive victory in 1683 at Vienna.For the latest information about this object, body armor, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
Straight, single-edged steel blade, the cutting edge slanting to point. Arabic inscription on both faces of blade: “What I write here will resist against time. I myself will pass away, my writing will remain as a momento made by the Turk Tebrizi- written Kezbellai Monallai Seadullish.” Tang inserted in facetted steel grip which becomes slightly wider toward the end. Stylized floral decoration in fine gold lines on grip and end of blade.Inscribed
Straight, single-edged steel blade, the cutting edge slanting to the point. On the back and both faces of blade near tang there is gilt decoration, that on one face including an Arabic inscription. The grip consists of two roughly rectangular ivory plaques each boaring carved decorations of two ovals; on one side, the upper part of a bearded man wearing crown cape, above a standing man with staff; on the other side, the upper part of a bearded man wearing fez and cape, above a seated boy with an animal. Wide heavy silver band with scroll decoration over both sides and top of grip.Inscribed
Straight, double-edged steel blade with slight medial ridge on each face, tapering to point. Deeply cut serrated crescents and stars on one face near the very wide tang which extends the full length of the two-piece ivory grip which has a straight, narrow, central section and a rounded end; two large iron studs.
Double edged steel blade with one straight and one convex side tapering to sharp point; both faces of blade etched. Tang inserted in ivory grip, lentoid in section and deeply notched on each side near each end.
Crescentic, watered steel blade with pronounced medial ridge on both faces; wide end inserted in bone grip, lentoid in section and widest at top and bottom. Grip completely carved in high relief in three registers; top, band of Arabic inscription; two seated (kneeling) and two standing crowned human figures; the lowest, on each side three seated (kneeling) crowned human figures between two urns.Inscribed
Field catalogue: "pin thickened to head and then cut off flat. Dagger with 3 rivet holes in tang. Dagger L.195 mm.; Max. W. 40 mm. Pin L. 160 mm." To be cleaned.
Double-edged steel blade tapering to point, inscribed: “Mskomen 1889” and “Sarajevo 1889”. Two-piece ivory grip with concave sides near the triangular end, the ivory decorated with brass and red stone studs and annulets. Brass socket at base of grip continued into brass band all around.Inscribed
CBS Register: U.9746 has the 6 crossed out in pencil and replaced by a 5 with a question mark. copper dagger. 3 rivets. length 192 mm. width 30 mm. Description 2016: Pseudomorphs present.
"Khanjar". Double edged steel blade, straight sides tapering to a point. Medial ridge on both faces. Very blunt edges. Groove along each edge forming a point on each face about 8 cm. from point of blade. Relief and engraved decoration in floral pattern, gilded, on both faces near grip. Tang inserted in two-piece ivory grip which has a wide silver binding ornamented with numerous studs. Two (originally four?) silver nails.
Dagger A / Sheath B - Straight metal dagger (hanjar?) with three vertical grooves on each side of blade and two small crosses near handle on one side only. Rhino horn (?) handle with engraved silver and copper at top and bottom edges. Matching silver and copper engrave sheath with two silver rings, one on each side. Typical of Jewish metalworkers.
Curved, double-edged blade, tapering to point, wide shallow groove and pronounced medial ridge on both faces for most of length. White jade handle. Continuous chevron pattern on grip, floral scroll on wide base and five lotus buds in the round on top of knob.
CBS Register: copper dagger, four rivets [either of the 3s in that field number could be a 5]sample found in Sam Nash's Metallurgy cabinets. Sample Number Ur Description 2016: Pseudomorphs present.
Copper. Broken in three. Dagger blade. Type II F. cf. 30-12-303sample found in Sam Nash's Metallurgy cabinets. Sample Number Ur 122CBS Register: U.11860. copper dagger. broken. length 148 mmU.11866 in the database
Straight blade and hilt in one piece. The hilt has a flat disc on the top adorned with 2 human heads, 2 rings dividing the flat handle and 2 horse heads on the guard.Legrain publication: "Iron dagger. The straight blade and hilt are cast in one piece. The flat hilt is reinforced by two rings between the guard and the top disk. Two human heads form a curious decoration on opposite sides of the disk, and two horse heads on the guard. Blade 279 x 31 mm. Hilt 140 mm. Top 80 x 62 mm. Guard 42 x 21 mm."
Electrotype reproduction. Copper dagger studded with gold nails; gold hilt. Original in BaghdadU10020 Ur Cemetery pp. 156, 159, 308, P1. 152-154 Antiq. J. Oct. 1928, p. 427