Peu de temps avant notre départ de Constantinople, sultan Selim s'est contenté de prendre un riche cangear [...], grand couteau que les Musulmans portent à la ceinture, dont la poignée est en argent, en or, en ivoire, en jaspe, en corail, enrichie d'émeraudes, de rubis, de diamants. Voyage dans l'Empire Ottoman, Guillaume Antoine Olivier, 1800.

Wootz Ottoman Khanjar

Country of origin : Ottoman Empire

Dating : 19th century

Materials : Gilded silver, Wootz

Total length : 53.0 cm

Blade length : 30.0 cm

The khanjar, called hançer in the Ottoman Empire, is a curved double-edged dagger. Its origins seem very ancient, probably derived from types of curved daggers already in use in the regions of Yemen and Persia. It was adopted and perfected by different cultures of the Middle East and Asia, notably in Persia, the Arabian Peninsula and India, as well as by the Ottoman Empire.

Examples can range from utility daggers to prestige weapons, the former usually being of simpler workmanship, while the latter can be decorated with precious and semi-precious stones, as well as gold and silver. Depending on their origin, these weapons display distinctive characteristics, such as the shape of the handle and blade, the materials used for the handle and scabbard, and the decorative designs.

Different types of Khanjar (from left to right): India (17th), Ottoman (19th), Kurdish (19th-20th) (left: Cleveland Museum, left: n°1930.708; middle: Metropolitan Museum of New York, n°36.25.1041; right: Peabody Museum, n°986-30-60/14522)

Here, the khanjar offered comes from the Ottoman Empire. The shape of the handle, the type of blade, as well as the embossed patterns on the handle and the scabbard, indicate an Ottoman provenance. The scabbard and hilt are made of vermeil, and the hilt features delicate floral designs. It is possible that the silver embossed work was done in Ioannina, a Greek city known for its silver craftsmanship and embossed floral designs. However, this remains a guess.

The substantial blade is made of Wootz steel, characterized by a very fine crystalline structure, and decorated with a succession of grooves. Each side of the blade has seven stars inlaid with gold or brass (the metal has not been tested). A hançer with a similar blade is on display at the Military Museum in Istanbul (Türkiye), attributed to the Ottoman Empire and dated to the 19th century.

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