A Rare Turkish Silver-Mounted Dagger, Reign Of Mehmed IV (1648-87), Circa 1680

With slightly curved double-edged blade of finely watered wootz steel with reinforced point of diamond section, darkly figured hardwood two-piece grip of waisted octagonal section set with sixteen silver florets (thirteen expertly replaced) each chased with a cobweb design, and replacement silver grip-strap nielloed with repeated leaves against slender lines, in original wood-lined scabbard encased in parcel-gilt silver, the outer side (two repairs) faceted and lightly embossed and chased with running arabesques and small flower-heads between bands of nielloed scrolling foliage, and with pierced basal mount en suite, the inner side finely chased with scrolling nielloed foliage and struck with a tughra to the right of the suspension loop, locket and spherical terminal decorated en suite, the former with upper border of two plaited silver bands, and retaining some original gilding
20 cm. blade

Provenance
The Counts Schenk von Stauffenberg, Sotheby's Olympia, 10 July 2002, lot 194

Almost certainly captured from the Turks at the time of the Siege of Vienna in 1683

Cf. a very similar dagger, Christie's South Kensington, Antique Arms and Armour, 16 July 1997, lot 10

See also Holger Schuckelt, Die Türekische Cammer, Sammlung orientalisher Kunst in der kurtfürstlich-sächsischen Rüstkammer, 2010, pp. 260-261, figs. 234 and 235