Al-saidi Khanjar

A superb and rare Omani 'Saidi' Sa'idiyyah or 'Royal' style Khanjar.


Named after one of the Persian rulers of Oman; Sayyid Said bin Sultan (1806 -1856) whose wife Sheherazade, according to myth, fashioned him a new design because she was bored with the traditional dagger shape. Our example has a 19,5 cm curved and dual edge blade with a central rib. The scabbard is made of wood encased in leather and wrapped in silver thread, with plaques of silver wire-work. The scabbard has seven rings; four large silver rings and three linked small ones. The hilt is rhino horn set with the classical Saidi silver filigree work, beaded wire and silver rosettes. Total length is 35 cm. Condition is excellent. Some minimal wear.

Comparable examples:

British museum Ingrams collection.
MAS, Museum by the Stream, Antwerp, Belgium
Royal Ontario Museum, 'Djanbiyya' accession number (948.1.429.A-B)
REFERENCES

Ernst Hieke, 'zur Geschichte des Deutschen handels mit Ostafrika' Teil 1 Wm Oswald & Co" page abb 40 1939. Earliest picture of Sultan Madjid with a Saidi khanjar.
A. Duchesne, 'Van wapen tot praalstuk', published by Signal, Brussels 1968, p. 8-9, fig 2. 'Poignard du sultan Bwana M'Sée'.
Stuhlmann, 'Handwerk und Industrie in Ostafrika' Friederichsen & Co Hamburg 1910, page 127, fig. 69.
Stephen Gracie, 'Jamiya, daggers from the ancient souqs of Yemen', published 2010, p. 166-167
Jehan S. Rajab, 'Silver Jewellery of Oman' Fig 51 p. 45
Ruth Hawley, 'Silver the traditional art of Oman' 2000, p. 16 above left
Robert Elgood, The Arms and armour of Arabia, page 81 fig 9.26
Islamic Art in Oman, p. 326 and 32
Unsheathing the Omani Khanjar by Robert Richmond in A Tribute to Oman Volume IX 20th National Day page 110-115
British Museum, 2012,6030.135.a-b from the Harold Ingrams collection. Dating 1880-1920.
The National Museum of Oman Highlights published by Scala Arts Heritage publishers 2016, page 8.