A rare Ottoman Yatagan sword together with it sheath mounted on a solid iron stand. The hilt made out of walrus, with some inlaid The pommel (back of the handle) is often shaped like large ears, which is why it is also called "Kulaklı" (Heard) in Turkish. Handles were made of various materials, including walrus or silver, etc.... The yatagan was worn by, among others, janissaries, the elite infantry soldiers of the Ottoman Empire, and also became popular in the Balkans. Blade potentially wootz ? to be confirmed... The scabbard is in very good condition, the blade shows some rusty surface spots that need to be cleaned as can be seen on the pictures. Provenance: tribal art dealer Francois Coppens