Persian Khanjar

As with the previously presented Ottoman khanjar, subtle distinctions allow us to identify both the period and the region of manufacture. This khanjar—distinguished by the pronounced curvature of its wootz steel blade in the final third, its wootz steel hilt, and its ornamental details—can be reliably attributed to Persia. Regarding its dating, the late 18th century marks a stylistic transition during which blades that were previously relatively straight began to adopt a marked curvature toward their terminal third.

 

Portrait of Murtaza-Kuli-Khan (Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky, 1796)

The specimen housed in the collections of the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, originating from the renowned Freer Gallery of Art collection (https://asia-archive.si.edu/object/F1939.44a-b/), constitutes the closest stylistic parallel we have identified—aside from the blade itself. It is attributed to the Zand dynasty (1750–1795), and the inscriptions engraved on its hilt form a poem in honor of the dynasty’s founding ruler. The hilt’s shape, its structural composition, as well as the quality of the calligraphy and gold ornamentation, display a remarkable similarity to our example.

Thanks to the valuable assistance of Mustafa al-Bazi and Nidal Siyam, we were able to decipher the inscriptions in nastaʿlīq script. These were revealed to be verses drawn from the supplications of Imam Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib, 600–661 CE), cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and the first Imam in the Shiʿa tradition. The following are selected deciphered excerpts:

يا ولي الحسنات
O You who are the protector of good deeds

نادي علي مظهر العجائب
Call upon Ali, the source of wonders

The pommel depicts a hunting scene: a feline—most likely an Asiatic cheetah, a symbol of Persia and widely used in coursing hunts from the Safavid through the Qajar periods—overpowering a Persian antelope. On the cheetah, inscriptions are discernible, among which we have identified the well-known phrase:

من صبر ظفر
He who has patience (ṣabr), triumphs (ẓafar)