What are the sabers, daggers, axes and swords made of Damascus steel, decorated with silver, gilding, ivory. Often, weapons were inlaid with turquoise or colored glass, decorated with niello or engraving. Such a richly decorated weapon was, among other things, of a ceremonial nature, it was an indicator of the high status of its owner.
You can admire the beauty of ancient weapons made by Uzbek craftsmen by visiting the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan in Tashkent. So, for example, in the museum's collection there is an oybolt from Khiva - an ax of the 18th century. The battle hatchet, like many weapons of that period, is made of Damascus steel (which has excellent strength and excellent cutting properties), and its wooden handle in a silver frame with gilded edges is decorated with double-row turquoise rings. The blade is engraved with a pattern retouched with gold. Such an ax was intended for protection during the ceremonial exit of the khan.
You can see more samples of ancient edged weapons and learn more about them in the electronic version of the publication “Collection of the State Museum of the History of Uzbekistan (Part 2)”.
The general sponsor of the project "Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world collections" is the oilfield services company Eriell Group.
