A Yemeni curved dagger, called ‘Jambiya’. With old, slightly curved blade made of local iron, with a middle ridge on both sides.
Hilt and wooden sheath are entirely in set in silver and richly decorated with cast spheres and pyramid-shaped ornamental components, with granulated, small spheres, knop bands and silver wire in straight, round and spiral shapes. The reverse of the sheath consists of smooth silver.
The dagger is decorated with six original rings with spherical rosettes attached to an old leather belt. This belt is in turn decorated with 10 objects made of similar silver. Among these are two semicircular, hollow boxes, a double kohl container for eye makeup made of black antimony paste, three floral-rosettes, a smooth, round decorative disc with a central hemisphere, etc.
The shape of this curved dagger, with its narrow handle and broad protruding finial, as well as with its sheath, its curved and elongated sheath with decorated, cone-shaped finial, suggests that the item originates from the ‘Tihama’, lowlands on the coast of the Red Sea. Overall an old masterpiece by a Yemeni silversmith! No significant damage.
19th century to early 20th century; H:34 cm (dagger); W: 81 cm (belt). (ME)

Provenance: Austrian Private Collection.