113 - AN UNUSUAL PERSIAN DAGGER WITH GILT WOOTZ BLADE, 19TH CENTURY

AN UNUSUAL PERSIAN DAGGER WITH GILT WOOTZ BLADE, 19TH CENTURY An unusual Persian dagger of distinctive form, the long wootz steel blade strongly recurved toward the point and displaying subtle watered patterning. The forte is richly decorated in gold. The gilt Arabic inscription includes the celebrated Shi'a invocation "لا فتى إلا علي لا سيف إلا ذو الفقار" (Lā fatā illā ʿAlī, lā sayfa illā Dhū al-Fiqār), traditionally translated as "There is no hero but Ali, and no sword but Dhu'l-Fiqar," referring to Ali ibn Abi Talib and his legendary sword Dhu'l-Fiqar. The elongated rectangular hilt is mounted with metal side panels bordered by rows of raised studs and decorated with engraved or chased arabesque motifs, with additional gilt ornament at the ends. Persia, 19th century. Dimensions: L: 14 1/8 in., (35.9 cm.) Condition: Very good condition, with gilding well preserved and all parts tight. A couple small dents to blade. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All statements contained in the catalog, condition reports, invoices, advertisements, or elsewhere concerning the authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, period, culture, source, provenance, authenticity, genuineness, condition, rarity, importance, or value of any lot are statements of opinion only and shall not be construed as representations, warranties, or statements of fact. All lots are sold "as-is", refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not offer in-house shipping. We will provide a list of recommended shippers upon request.