A 19th Century Persian / Ottoman Shamshir, the mameluke styl...

Estimate

£4,000 - £6,000

A 19th Century Persian / Ottoman Shamshir, the mameluke style hilt with rhino horn pistol grip and cross guard with swollen finials joining a deeply curved tapering plain blade, with silver thread bound leather and yellow metal mounted engraved scabbard. 102cm length including scabbard, blade length approximately 85cm, 100cm overall. Some wear to the horn grip. PROVENANCE: 'According to family lore, both swords came into the family in 1918 and have been passed down through the generations since then. The current 'owner' is the Estate of the late Frederick Stuart Ditmas; the executors of Freddy's estate - Michael Villiers-Stuart and the undersigned - first became aware of the swords in November 2022, when we cleared the attic of Frederick's house in Presteigne, Powys. Freddy was the only child of the late Col. BNL Ditmas DSO OBE and Claire Villiers-Stuart. Claire was the eldest child of the late Col. J.P. Villiers-Stuart CB DSO OBE (grandfather of both executors and the deceased). Inter alia, grandfather served with 55th Coke's Rifles - part of the Indian Army - in Persia in 1918/19. Hence the swords. Unsurprisingly, no documentation exists.'