A gold koftgari-hilted finely watered-steel sword signed by Mir 'Ali and bearing the name of Khan Nusrat Jang Muhammad Bahawal-Khan 'Abbasi Bahadur, a Nawab of Bahawalpur
Safavid Persia and India, the blade 16th/ 17th Century, the hilt 18th/ 19th Century
the single-edged Persian watered steel blade of curved form with flattened spine and double-edged section towards the point, decorated in gold overlay with a magic square and an inscription-filled cartouche, a later owner's inscription running down the blade from the forte surrounded by flowerheads, the hilt of typical form finely decorated in gold overlay with floral interlace, the wood scabbard clad in tooled leather with empty compartment for dagger, the steel chape finely decorated in gold overlay with bands of floral motifs divided by bands of engraved decoration
91.5 cm. long
Footnotes:
Provenance
The Mohammed Khalil Collection.

Published
M. K. Ibrahim, Islamic Arms and Armour, Vol. II, United Arab Emirates, 2022, p. 567, cat. no. 359.

Inscriptions: along the blade, partially concealed by the grip, the name '... Khan Nusrat Jang Muhammad Bahawal-Khan 'Abbasi Bahadur'; in the cartouche, hilali-i yakshaba shamshir kar-i mir 'alist, 'A crescent moon lasting a single night, the shamshir is the work of Mir 'Ali'; the magic square with the talismanic name buduh

As the first word of the inscription is concealed, the owner's inscription could refer to one of a number of the nawabs of Bahawalpur such as, Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi II Bahadur Nusrat Jang (reg. 1772-1809) and Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi III Bahadur Nusrat Jang (reg. 1826-1852). The Safavid blade is a very fine watered steel example and bears the same legend and signature as another by Mir 'Ali dated AH 1008 (AD 1599-1600) in the Museum of the Holy Shrine (Astan-i Quds), Mashhad. The Buduh magic square serves to act as a talismanic protection for the owner of the sword. In each square is a number, representing a letter. A Persian 18th/ 19th Century shamsir in the Royal Collection Trust bears a similar buduh mark (RCIN 62879).
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * R
* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.
R This lot is subject to import restrictions when shipped to the United States.