This is a real beauty, a very desirable piece to the collectors of antique swords. An old elegant fine wootz (Damascus) Ottoman shamshir sword. Blade is slender, wedge cross section, 33 ½ inches long (in straight line). The blade is decorated with 5 sections of Arabic inscriptions in thick gold Koftgari work. Rhino horn grips with clear fibrous structure, ribbed on the pommel side. Steel cross guard (maybe later) inlaid with gold. Total length 39 inches. The gold work and wootz are of very good quality. Good condition. There is fabric strip binding on the grips near the crossguard. We never removed it, but it may be covering an old repair. A piece of great beauty and high quality.