A sword (shamshir) with watered-steel blade signed Asadullah, 17th century, with scabbard and later quillon and mounts, Persia, 19th century

the slender and slightly curved blade of finely-watered steel with two gold inscriptions in lobed cartouches at the forte, the hilt quillons with gold-overlaid  borders with carved inscriptive catouches on both sides and pommel, wooden grip with old silver-gilt thread repair, with leather-covered wooden scabbard tooled with floral scrolls, two steel suspension bands with carved inscriptions and leather strap 

In fair overall condition, the scabbard with losses to alon the edges and some restoration towards the tip, the grip and pommel broken and repaired, blade in good condition, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions
On the blade:

bandah-ye shah-e velayat 'abbas

'The servant of the King of Trusteeship 'Abbas'

'amal asad isfahani

'Work of Asad Isfahani'

On the hilt and the scabbard:  Invocations to God.

A certain amount of mystery surrounds the name of Asadullah, since whilst it may have represented a single person, it might also have been a title given to Iranian swordsmiths who had attained a particular level of mastery.  Literally, Asadullah means 'Lion of God', and is one of the titles given to Imam 'Ali.  M. Keyvani notes a story told by Chardin (descended through the oral tradition of the Isfahan bazaar) in which Shah 'Abbas I was gifted a helmet by the Ottoman Sultan and offered a sum of money to anyone who could break it with a sword.  Only Asadullah (also known as 'Ustad Asad') managed to do so (cited in Allen & Gilmour 2000, p.102).