Early Enameled Silver Shibriya

Shibriya (  شبرية  ) is the legendary side arm of the Arab people. It is common all around the middle east, mostly in Israel / Palestine  and Jordan, but also found in Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It is much  favored by the Palestinian and Jordanian Bedouins and in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Shibriya is characterized by a short dual edged, double curved and deadly sharp blade. Handle and  scabbard are covered with metal sheet, mostly white metal but sometimes iron,  brass and quite scarcely silver. Both the scabbard and the handle are decorated with light engraving and set with colored stones or glass.

The name Shibriya is supposedly derived from the word shiber (  شبر  ) the distance between the tip of the  thumb and the tip of the little finger of an extended palm : 22 – 28 cm, the length of average Shibriya.

The Shibriya offered here is exceptional in its construction and decoration. Large size. The handle and the scabbard are silver (white metal on the back) . The silver is decorated in black enamel, similar to the Niello work found in the Caucasus.

Blade 18 Cm. Total length 32 cm. Good condition. Several pitted spots on the blade. Good authentic early 20 C. Shibriya.