Pete M's previous post:
"Gaier believes that 1683 is a key date in the development of European damascus gun barrels. The defeat of Kara Mustafa Pasha by Jan III Sobieski at Vienna was a winfall for European gunsmiths. Suddenly thousands of damascus barreled guns could be examined."

This COULD be a foundational observation as to 1. how damascus made it to Europe and 2. why 'pattern welded' iron/steel barrels were developed in the first place.
Islam forbids the depiction of Allah or Muhammed, and the creative/artistic efforts of the different Islamic people groups were focused on Calligraphy and Architecture. There are 6 major script patterns, called Shish Qalam in Persian and Turkish.
These sites are helpful:
http://www.islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/index.html
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Calligraphy/Islam_Arabic_Calligraphy.html

This is Farsi script called Ta'liq and popular among Persians, Turks, Arabs, and Moslim Indians. The repetitive pattern of swirls is similar to 'Turkish' crolle.



This is Naskh script which is somewhat like 'Horse-shoe' crolle.



Could damascus have originally been inspired by 'Wootz/Crucible' steel (which is NOT pattern welded) and made in an attempt to reproduce Islamic Calligraphic patterns?!?




Last edited by revdocdrew; 10/04/07 04:34 PM.
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