Underappreciated Swords: Persian Qajar Era “Revival“ Sword

A quick new video, on a very underrepresented sword. The Persian Qajar Era straight sword, in Revival style. Featuring design motifs from sassanid, temurid, and arabic swords of the 1300-1500’s, this sword has a variety of decorative elements that hearken back to earlier swords from Persia and beyond. We’ll be covering the history, design, decoration, symbolism and construction of a Qajar Era Straight Sword. Arms and Armor From Iran, Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani: His Channel, Razmafzar A “Qajar Revival“ sword, with straight blade. A style typified by a thin, broad straight blade with downturned quillions, hearkening back to much earlier persian swords. The hilt is typically (but not always) undecorated, whilst the blades are elaborately etched. The handles are formed from two plates of steel, shaped and then brazed together. This example has no edges, and is very flexible. Being ceremonial swords, the vast majority were made to be impossible to use. Some extremely rare exceptions use wootz steel, and have a diamond cross section with fullers, and sharp edges. These are indeed usable, but are exceptionally rare. These examples often are undecorated, baring a signature. Many featured Quranic scripts and serpent motifs, and blades are often thin and flexible. we can see one used by the painted Jan Matejko, in his painting “Bitwa pod Grunwaldem“ being held by Vytautas the Great. Note that whilst the sword is correct to the contemporary Persia when Matejko painted this, it is not accurate to the period when the battle took place. These “revival“ style swords were almost always temple / ceremonial swords, and appeared in the late 18th/early 19th century.