A superb Central Asian sabre with ivory grip slabs, very thick and heavy silver fittings and an outstanding signed blade.
In its leather and silver clad scabbard, this very fine sabre measures 95cms long. Out it is 93.5cms long with a blade length of 78.5cms long.
The thick ivory grip slabs appear to be the outer edges of walrus ivory and they display a very fine patina throughout. The grip slabs are riveted through three places as is one of the standard manufacturing methods for the type. These slabs rest over a very thick full tang and against long steel bolsters with brass fore-edges, being of a type akin to those found on the Afghani Khyber knives.
The blade is simply stunning. It is of a high quality construction with rare multiple fullered arrangement with a gold signature, an aspect that is extremely rare.
The heavy blade is thick through its spine that narrows through the tip. It has a very small black forte, a broad, crisp and very sharp bevelled cutting edge, free from loss or damage and still in original mirror polish.
The blade's faces show a large central fuller running through to the tip and a second lesser but deep and broad fuller running from the forte for 20cms where it then changes in to three deep and very precise fullers that follow the broad central fuller through to the tip.
Of special note is the extremely rare gold signature which seems to show a military or house standard and a signature that appears to read "work of Faqeer Hussain".
The scabbard is expertly covered in stitched black leather with perfect seams seen on the upper edge. The silver fittings are without decoration but are very substantial in weight and of high quality.
A very rare sword type of very high quality and an academically important blade type displaying the Afghanistan flag, circa 1901-1919.
