Hi Amanda,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The shamshir is one of the most distinctive swords of the Islamic world, closely associated with Persia (modern-day Iran). It evolved during the medieval period, influenced by earlier Central Asian and Turkic blades. It became prominent under Persian dynasties such as the Safavid dynasty (16th–18th centuries), when sword-making reached a high artistic and technical level.

The name translates to "Lion's Tail" or "Lion's Fang", referencing the curved blade, which is it's most defining feature and more extreme than many other sabers. It typically has a slender, single-edged blade, a sharp point for thrusting (despite the curve) and a simple crossguard and often a pistol-grip-style hilt. This curvature made it highly effective for slashing attacks, especially from horseback.

The calligraphic inscriptions on the blade are typical and often include verses or the maker's name, though this particular dialect is unfamiliar to me.

Your shamshir is comparatively plain but I've no reason to think it isn't "authentic"; many were collected in the Middle East during the 19th Century, when wealthy Americans and Europeans traveled abroad for cultural enrichment, a phenomenon known as the Grand Tour.

When similar shamshirs have come up for auction, they usually sell for relatively modest amounts; I would be surprised to see this exceed $1,000, more likely in the $400-600 range (on top of that you'd have to pay consignment fees to the auctioneer). If you need references as to who might buy this outright, let me know...I may know one or two names to give you.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia