Harvard Art Museums > 2011.521: Saber blade inscribed by Asad Allah Weapons and Ammunition Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Saber blade inscribed by Asad Allah (Signed by Asad Allah) , 2011.521,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 29, 2025, https://hvrd.art/o/215274. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2011.521 People Signed by Asad Allah Title Saber blade inscribed by Asad Allah Classification Weapons and Ammunition Work Type sword Date 17th century Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran, Isfahan Period Safavid period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/215274 Physical Descriptions Medium Watered steel with gold inlay Dimensions 99.3 cm (39 1/8 in.) Inscriptions and Marks inscription: Inscription on the blade reads “‘Abbas, servant of the King of Holiness [i.e. ‘Ali]. Work of Asad Allah.” Provenance Recorded Ownership History Stuart Cary Welch, Jr., Warner, New Hampshire (by 1989-2008), by inheritance; to Edith I. Welch, Warner, New Hampshire (2008-2011), gift; to Harvard Art Museums 2011. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Stuart Cary Welch Collection, Gift of Edith I. Welch in memory of Stuart Cary Welch Accession Year 2011 Object Number 2011.521 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This curving, single-edged blade was made for a saber. From the shape of the tang, it is likely that the missing pommel was pistol-shaped. The blade exhibits a watered steel pattern, which was acid etched to bring out the color contrasts of the various components of the steel. A small gold cartouche near the base of this sword blade contains the signature of Asad Allah of Isfahan. A larger inscription on the blade reads: “The servant of the dominion of Shah `Abbas.” Publication History Melanie Michailidis, Glory and Prosperity: Metalwork of the Islamic World, brochure, ed. Marsha Pomerantz, Harvard University Art Museums (2002), p. 7, fig. 9 Exhibition History Islamic Art: The Power of Pattern, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 09/23/1989 - 01/17/1990 Shadows of God On Earth: Arts of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Dynasties, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/21/1997 - 08/31/1997 From Rhubarb to Rubies: European Travelers to Safavid Iran, 1550-1700, Houghton Library, Cambridge, 05/08/2008 - 08/20/2008 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
