Dagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage Case

Dagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage Case

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A traditional jambiya Arab dagger, this example commemorates a Turk’s pilgrimage to Mecca. Inscriptions on the scabbard give the name of the owner and the city of manufacture, Medina, another pilgrimage site, while those on the blade include verses of poetry and the name of the maker, Izzet. The storage case, made in Turkey, bears the calligraphic cipher (tugra) of the Ottoman sultan Abdülhamid II (r. 1876–1909).

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage CaseDagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage CaseDagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage CaseDagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage CaseDagger (Jambiya) with Scabbard and Fitted Storage Case

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.