A beautiful pala in the Trabzon style dating: Second half of the 19th Century provenance: Turkey, Wide, curved, single-and false-edged blade made of damask, with short and narrow groove under the back. With a gold cartouche with Arabic inscriptions on the right side, at the base, saying 'ma sha’a Allah' (Whatever God wills), other inscriptions with the Qur’an's Surah along the groove. Remains of a cartouche with a barely-legible inscription on the other side. Wide back with copper inlays and with cannelure along the segment of the groove. Handle covered with gilded copper foil on both sides and enriched with filigree spirals, studded with corals and small cabochon turquoises. Wooden scabbard covered and decorated en suite on the front side. The rear part made of gilt-copper foil embossed with mosques and floral motifs. Two bands of elliptical shape on both sides and, unlike the rest of the scabbard, enriched with cabochon also at the back. One of the two rings missing. Other missing parts and small defects. A beautiful weapon of the Black Sea coast, probably from Trabzond, very well-known for this kind of decoration.See two similar weapons sold at Sotheby's on May 1st 2019, lot 199 and at Christie's on May 2nd 2019, lot 173.Another example can be found in 'Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime's Passion', by Robert Hales, 2013 illustrated at page 209. A very similar sword is shown in the main Oriental arms room at the Stibbert Museum in Florence.The pala is provided with an expert's report certifying that it was produced before 1947, and therefore complies with European rules for the trade of protected species. length 82.5 cm.