SOLD Rare Antique Turkish Ottoman sword Kilij with 17th century blade and 18th century solid silver mounts. DETAILS: A rare 17th century, or earlier, massive and broad curved single edged Turkish blade of kilij form, cut on each side with a long shallow fuller and yelmen made of Damascus steel Wootz. A hilt comprised of a grip with Rhinoceros horn grip-scales, rising to a bulbous pommel in a characteristic Turkish Ottoman style, with a hole for the suspension tassel, bounded by pairs of silver washers, and enclosed by fluted silver straps, a silver crossguard with bud quillons. A leather-bound wooden scabbard stitched with spiral wire, and mounted with a large silver locket, a chape embossed and engraved on both sides with linear frame and foliage, and two bands with loops for suspension. One of the bands is stamped with Imperial Ottoman silver hallmarks tughra (probable of the Mahmud I (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1730 to 1754), but worn out, so it is uncertain) and a small square assay mark.

This is a very rare early Turkish Ottoman blade, similar blades are in the collection of the Top Kapi Saray Museum, and are dated to the 15th -17th century. In the 18th century most of the 15th -17th century old Turkish blades were remounted to the new fashion of mounting, with the Pistol shape hilt, so even in Turkish museums most of the ottoman swords have later mountings. This sword certainly has been remounted, due to the reinforcing metal zigzag band mounted on the ricasso of the blade under the crossguard.

Examples of almost identical ottoman blades dated from the 15th to 17th century (with 18th century mountings) can be seen in the Topkapi Sarayi Museum and the Askeri Museum in Istanbul Turkey. The other collections such as the Kilij with the early 16th century blade dated to 1517 A.D. in the Musee de l’Armee Paris published in the book Les Armes Blanches Du Monde Islamique, by Alain Jacob, on page 94. There are Turkish swords with 15^th to 16^th century blades with the 18^th century mountings, as published on page 356 in the book, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor, by George Cameron Stone. Both pictures are attached to the listing.

REFERENCES 1) “Islamic Swords and Swordsmiths” by Unsal Yucel 2) “The Arts of the Muslim Knight – The Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection” by Bashir Mohamed 3) Les armes blanches du monde islamique by Alain Jacob 4) A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, by George Cameron Stone.

CONDITION: Some age cracks in the horn scales, the silver mountings are worn with small dents.

MEASUREMENTS: The overall length in the scabbard is approximately: 96.5 cm (38 in). The overall length without the scabbard is approximately: 94 cm (37 in). The length of the blade is approximately: 79.5 cm (31 1/4 in).

The Turkish Ottoman kilij sword was mainly favored by the famous Turkish Ottoman elite cavalry Sipahi, but was also very admired by nobility of Balkan states, and Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.