Khorasani, M. Arms and Armor From Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Aqjar Period. (Tübingen, 2006).
See: https://www.moshtaghkhorasani.com/books/arms-and-armor-from-iran/
This book Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, which encompasses not only the holdings of some 10 different museums but also private collections, is an extremely impressive volume, some three inches thick, fully illustrated throughout. Not only is the book a photographic catalogue of the variety of Iranian arms heritage, it examines the origins and development in a historical context. The scope of the book is in itself colossal and embraces pieces from the 3rd millennium BC to the end of the Qajar Period in the 20th century. The table of contents alone spans four full-size pages, with headings such as „The Iranian Culture Influence in the Region and Iranian Search for Independence". „Median and Achaemenian Daggers and Swords", „Parthian Swords and Daggers" and „The Influence and Meaning of Swords in Iran after the Muslim Conquest". The first 371 pages provide the narrative history of Iranian weapons with copious references to the world 's most respected historical authorities, listed at the back in some 14 pages along with numerous illustrations. The second half of the book, comprising a further 373 pages, is devoted to colour imges of the weapons themselves, daggers, swords, spears, axes, shields, armour and mail, meticulously captioned, annotated and enumerated, all in sumptuous detail on a dark blue background, enhancing the gleaming golden surfaces of many of these extraordinary pieces.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. The Iranian cultural influence in the region and the Iranian search for independence
3. Bronze and iron weapons from Iran
3.1 Casting bronze weapons
3.2 Bronze weapons from western parts of Iran (Luristan and Elam)
3.3 Classification of bronze and iron weapons from Luristan and other regions of Iran
3.4 Iron swords from Luristan
3.5 Bronze weapons from Hasanlu
3.6 Classification of daggers and swords from Marlik, Amlash, and Talesh
4. Median and Achaemenian daggers and swords
4.1 The Median akenakes (short sword)
4.2 The Persian akenakes
4.3 Achaemenian long sword
4.4 Achaemenian falchions
4.5 Achaemenian knives
5. Parthian swords and daggers
5.1 Evidence from rock reliefs
5.2 Archeological examples
6. Sassanian swords
6.1 Evidence from rock reliefs
6.2 Evidence from Silver plates
6.3 Archeological examples
7. The importance and meaning of the sword in Iran after the Muslim conquest
7.1 Crucible steel (Pulad-e gohardar or fulad-e johardar) and its varieties
7.2 Different types of steel
7.3 Pattern-welded steel blades (layered blades)
7.4 Classification of swords by al Kindi
7.5 Akhi Hizam Muhammad ibn Yaghub al Khuttali on swords
7.6 Beiruni on swords
7.7 Ibn Sina on swords
7.8 Khayyam Neishaburi on swords
7.9 Mobarakshah Fakhr Modabar on swords
7.10 Al Tarussi on swords
7.11 Identification and classification of watered-steel blades (tigheye johardar) based on publications from modern times
8. Shamshir (sword) and its varieties
8.1 Shamshir attributed to Timur with gold-inlaid cartouches in Kufic inscriptions from the National Museum of Iran, Tehran
8.2 Shamshir attributed to Timur with gold-inlaid cartouches in Kufic inscriptions from the Military Museum, Tehran
8.3 Another shamshir attributed to Timur from the Military Museum, Tehran
8.4 Different parts of a classical shamshir
9. The mystery behind dhufaghar "zolfaghar", the bifurcated sword of Ali
10. Iranian straight swords: the re-emergence or coexistence with curved swords
11. Iranian military swords from the Qajar period (shamshir nezami)
12. Qame and qaddare (double-edged short sword and one-edged short sword)
13. Khanjar (double-edged dagger)
14. Kard (one-edged knife)
15. Pishqabz (double-curved, one-edged dagger)
16. Neyze and zubin (spear and javelin)
16.1 Spearheads from Marlik
16.2 Spearheads from Amlash
16.3 Spearheads from Amarlu
16.4 Spearheads from Luristan
16.5 Achaemenian spearheads
16.6 Parthian and Sassanian spearheads
16.7 Spears after the Muslim conquest
17. Gorz (mace)
17.1 Globular or pear-shaped and truncheon-shaped mace heads
17.2 Knobbed and flanged maces
17.3 Animal or human-headed maces
18. Tabar / Tabarzin (axe and saddleaxe)
19. Separ (shield)
20. Zereh and joshan (armor)
20.1 Joshan and zereh (mail)
20.2 Chahr ayne (four mirrors)
20.3 Sardushi (Shoulder padding)
20.4 Bazuband (arm guard)
20.5 Kolah khud (helmet)
20.6 Gariban (standard)
20.7 Zanuband (knee protector) and sagband (shin protector)
21. Tir va Kaman (bow and arrows)
21.1 Shapes and structure of a Kaman (bow)
21.2 Materials used for making a bow
21.3 Tir (arrow) and paykan (arrowhead)
22. The meaning of the emblem of the lion, the sun, and the lion fighting a bull on pieces of arms and armor
23. The Iranian warrior tradition: Iranian treatises on warfare and martial arts
23.1 Jawanmardi: rules of conduct and behavior for warriors
23.2 Ayyaran during the Sassanian period and in later eras
24. Koshti (wrestling), other martial practices, and their role in preparing the warriors for the battlefield
24.1 Wrestling and varzesh bastani
24.2 Practice tools of varzesh bastani
24.3 Archery training
24.4 Handling the sword
24.5 Throwing the javelin
24.6 Horse riding, polo, and playing at the mall
24.7 Stickfighting
25. Dervishes
26. Naggali (traditional reciting of Shahname)
27. Arms and armor used in taziye (Shiite passion play)
28. Conclusion
29. Catalog