knife
 

Dear Forumites,
This knife was presented on one of the Russian Forums. It drew very different opinions as to its attribution.
Can you please look at it and render your opinions, impressions and insights?

Thanks in advance for your help.


http://s57.radikal.ru/i155/1012/bc/041ec8c1c793.jpg

http://i025.radikal.ru/1012/d4/e74325334d06.jpg

I am not sure but it looks like a mix to me. The silver mounts look Indo-Persian. The blade looks modern. The quillons look either Turkish or European to me.

I'm curious to see what others think. :shrug:

The blade is not modern - it is of black "Persian" wootz. The piercings do remind of Central Asia/Afghanistan work, but one of the likely descriptions is that it is of 19th C Tatar/Crimean origin. An interesting example.

With a better picture I now see what you mean Alex about the blade.

There are still opinions? Central Asia/Afghanistan work? Turkish? Tatar?

Alex,
I completely concur with you bro - this looks to be an afgani knife. Just the look of it and the decoration piercings....just all speak afganistan.
Ive included a picture of a pulwar I used to have in my collection, please note the piercings in the guard.

Aleksey

The concept of multi-cultural production prevailed throughout the centuries. similar to many Indo-Persian pieces, where different such called "trade blades" were furnished in various local tastes using various "tribal" techniques, this example shows similar fusion. The blade could have been produced anywhere in Persia, Syria, Turkey, etc and dressed anywhere in Central Asia or in Tatarstan or Crimea area. Crimea was part of Ottoman empire until 1850s. Tatarstan, by the way, was/is not part of Crimea. The Tatar attribution opinion is based on the shape of the handle, which is similar to the Tatar saber.
Alex, thanx fror the great comparison example, piercing definitely looks similar.

In the interest of full disclosure: I participated in the original discussion and opposed the "Tatar" attribution. My interpretation was that of a somewhat strange Afghani/ North Indian origin.

The blade and the handle are made en suite, as witnessed by identical piercing designs , that are regularly seen on Afghani examples ( poulowar here makes the point). The crossguard is of a venerable Iranian style. The horn handle with multiple small nails is very reminescent of Afghani examples. The bend of the handle does not look very Tatar to me( as seen on Ordynkas) because it starts from the bottom part of the handle, and not from the top one. The metal hanging part on the pommel looks also very Afghani. The wootz blade also hints at Afghani/North Indian origin. The geometry of the blade ( flat with mail-piercing tip) is often seen on North Indian spears.


There are few documented Crimean knives ( several excavated ones were shown on another Forum, as part of the original discussion), but they all looked yataghan-ish and had no resemblance to the present one.

In summary, with the abundance of features shared with Afghani/NI examples and with not a single one shared with the (few known) Crimean Tatar ones, one is on sufficiently firm grounds attributing it to the former part of the world.


These were my main points. Please provide counter-arguments and prove me wrong.