A 'hawk head' saif from Yemen - SOLD

An Arabian sabre with a "hawk head" type pommel. Swords of this type form part of a spectrum with Karabela sabres on the one extreme and Nimcha on the other. In this example, the shape of the hilt is very reminiscent of a nimcha, but it has a simple crossguard more typical of a karabela.
 
The curved blade has two broad fullers, one of which is further subdivided into three narrow grooves. The cutting edge has small dents and tears along its entire length, and there is some light pitting towards the tip of the blade.
 
The brass crossguard shows a fair amount of play, but has nevertheless been securely rivetted to the blade. The horn hilt has some age-related damage and cracks, and has at one point been repaired with a narrow strip of aluminium. The fact that the tang has been peened over the end of the pommel means that the blade still sits securely in the hilt. There is no scabbard, unfortunately.
 
Blade length: 75 cm
Overall length: 91 cm
Late 19th - early 20th century