Pala signé Sunqur Lot n° 48

A rare horn-hilted Ottoman steel blade Sword signed by Sunqur, Turkey, 16th Century for the blade, 19th century for the hilt, the double-edged towards the tip, and scabbard. Turkey, 16th century for the blade and 19th century for the hilt Saber with very fine counter-edged blade, in wavy gray damascus steel, decorated with gold-inlaid inscriptions set in a poly-lobed medallion and two oblong cartouches (basmalah and C61:13). Signed under the guard. Brown horn curved handle, chased silver straight quillon guard, marked with tughra and sah. Black leather-covered scabbard, with chased silver cap and bolt, with tugra and sah. Condition: slight oxidation of the blade, particularly on the tip. Worn and bent leather, silver mounts with slight dents and wear. L. 94 cm Provenance : Public sale, France. For other blades signed Sunqur / Similar works : - Wallace collection, London, inv. n°OA1751 - Kremlin Museum, Moscow, inv. n°OP-4458 - Askari Museum, Istanbul, inv. n°2529 - Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, inv. n°1/185 - Hermann Historica: Arms, militaria, historical memorabilia, Munich, November 15, 2019, lot 3304 Bibliography : Unsal Yucel. Islamic Swords and Swordsmiths. Published by Research Centre For Islamic History, Art and Culture, Istanbul, 2001. pl.96. p.161. A rare horn-hilted Ottoman steel blade Sword signed by Sunqur, Turkey, 16th Century for the blade, 19th century for the hilt, the double-edged towards the tip, and scabbard. Sixteenth-century blades were often reused and readjusted on other hilts as design and taste evolved, as is the case here. The blade bears the signature of 'Sunqur', for al-Hajj Sunqur, known to have been one of the sword smiths working for Sultan Sulayman I (r.1520-66). This blade is stylistically attributable to the early 16th century. The tang bears a seal with the maker's name. Sunqur's signature can also be found on blades made for the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (r.1501-16), which tends to prove that he began his career in Egypt. The movement of craftsmen between the Mamluk and Ottoman kingdoms in the 16th century is well documented, as the Ottoman court attracted the best craftsmen from conquered territories to work for it. On this blade, the craftsman's signature makes no mention of the Hajj (pilgrimage), which would suggest that the blade was forged before the craftsman made his pilgrimage, i.e. at an early stage in his career.