A important and rare Turkish jambia with scabbard of mid to…
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A important and rare Turkish jambia with scabbard of mid to late 17th century date, approx 30 cm overall with 18 cm curved double edged blade of convex section of very finely watered steel. The ricasso with partial gilt koftgari inscriptions on both faces. The hilt of a single piece of walrus ivory (morse) of fluted form. The heavy silver scabbard is engraved with scrolling foliage ending in pomegranates, and has a retaining loop on the obverse;the face chiselled overall with scrolling foliage ending in pomegranates. This jambia is illustrated in the major reference 'Islamic and Oriental arms and armour' by Robert Hales (Plate188). One of a very small group of daggers of this form

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  • Ivory - Ivory is a hard white material that comes from the tusks of elephants, mammoth, walrus and boar, or from the teeth of hippopotamus and whales. The ivory from the African elephant is the most prized source of ivory. Although the mammoth is extinct, tusks are still being unearthed in Russia and offered for sale.

    Ivory has been used since the earliest times as a material for sculpture of small items, both in Europe and the east, principally China and Japan.

    In Asia ivory has been carved for netsuke, seals, okimono, card cases, fan supports, animals and other figures and even as carved tusks.

    In the last 200 years in Europe ivory has been used to carve figures, for elaborate tankards, snuff boxes, cane handles, embroidery and sewing accessories, in jewellery and as inlay on furniture. Its more practical uses include being used for billiard balls, buttons, and a veneers on the top of piano keys.

    The use and trade of elephant ivory have become controversial because they have contributed to Due to the decline in elephant populations because of the trade in ivory, the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in 1975, and in January 1990, the African elephant was similarly listed. Under Appendix One, international trade in Asian or African elephant ivory between member countries is forbidden. Unlike trade in elephant tusks, trade in mammoth tusks is legal.

    Since the invention of plastics, there have been many attempts to create an artificial ivory
  • Obverse - Obverse means the front face of a coin or medal, and the reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a monarch or famous person.

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