TIDBITS 06/19/05

If any of you want Tidbits emailed directly, let me know and
I'll take care of it. Tidbits may be reprinted without charge --
with attribution. Additionally, if you know of anyone who you think
would enjoy Tidbits, please make them aware of us. URL
(http://www.tyler-adam.com). We encourage you to forward
this email to friends and colleagues.
======================================

Alas and alack ... this will be the last issue of Tidbits till
July 15, 2005. Off to other worlds to see what's what.


Yatagan of Ahmed Tekelü

Yatagan ... a Turkish short sword ... this one dating back to
the Ottoman Empire and belonging to the Sultan Süleyman
the Magnificent and made by the then court jeweler Ahmed
Tekelü ... circa 1526-27.

Today ... you make a piece of jewelry by using a caster
... a setter ... a polisher ... and voilà. Well ... maybe not
that simply ... but I'm speaking metaphorically.

Ah ... but the making of the hilt of this sword was an
entirely different story. This required a blacksmith ...
an ivory carver ... a jeweler ... a goldsmith ...and
the ability to duplicate in gold many of the decorative
motifs found in the paintings of the time. It is and was
art of the highest caliber.

Within this hilt you will see a scaly dragon attacking a
phoenix. I wonder if there's anyone around today that
can actually make this kind of stuff. And when one
finds this person ... what do you think he'll charge to create
this ivory hilt inlaid with golden beasties and golden floral
scrolls?

I show you only the hilt today ... for the blade itself is
just a blade ... a mundane piece of steel designed to
cut and slice and pierce and maim. Nothing out of
the ordinary.

Of course ... as a weapon ... this blade holds no candle to
an Inter-Continental Ballistics Missile ... or a Hydrogen
Bomb ... or to any other of the civilized advancements we've
made thanks to the sciences of the day. But then again ...
there isn't a sub-machine gun out there that can compete
for beauty with the primitive weaponry of yesteryear.

So I say this. Let us keep up with the joys of the past. Let
us adorn our Winchesters with handles inlaid with rubies
and pearls. And our Marlins and Rugers ... gold leaf
etched in relief. A few flowers here and there. A daisy
perhaps. A pastoral scene for the trusty Remington. Two
maidens would do ... formed with gold wire ... gamboling
through a pristine meadow of green enameled grasses as a
bullet shot from its barrel goes whistling along to its target..
And as for our ICBM's ... a mural along the body would
be nice ... a cloudless sapphire sky with some seagulls ... and a
hawk with black diamond eyes above for just a smidgen of terror
and reality. Whaddya think?

For those of you who are new to this thing called
Tidbits...may I direct you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where
you will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that
says Tidbits Graphics ... and then click on the link that says:
Yatagan in order to view this great Ottoman Hilt.

And there ya have it.
That's it for this week folks.
Catch you all on the 15th.
Benjamin Mark

All issues of Tidbits are copyrighted and available from our
home page. All rights reserved.