Ottoman Calligraphy Scissors, Gold Damascened with Silver Handles

A pair of nineteenth-century Ottoman calligraphy scissors with gold-inlaid damascene iron blades and solid silver handles, an uncommon choice, as most surviving examples of the type have brass handles. Scissors of this kind were made for cutting sheets of paper, an essential operation in the Ottoman scriptoria and calligraphy workshops where master scribes prepared manuscripts.

The blades are elegantly double fullered, cut with concave channels along their length, and the gold damascene inlay remains in excellent condition. The whole measures approximately 25 cm (10 inches).

Provenance: private collection.