Shashka for comments

[TVV]

My friend from Bulgaria has asked me to post this shashka here for comments. It is a bit unusual, with a scabbard with brass mounts with floral motives, which to me appear to be of Ottoman influence, but I may be wrong. There is a cartouche on one side with some script or an imitation of a script. On the other side, there is an interesting symbol: a beast like moon? Has anyone seen a similar symbol, and would anyone venture a guess as to dating and area of origin?

Thank you,
Teodor

[Martin Lubojacky]

Hi Teodor,
I am not expert in shashkas, I have no one. I just give my I "hope fair-minded" standpoint.
The floral motive is Ottoman, but not the style which used to be used on mountings of scabbards. This is imitation of style, which, I think, was used on brocades and/or tiles during Ottoman period. That means (for me) that somebody repaired the scabbard of this Caucasian shashka in Turkey and he simply added motives which he liked. As far as the moon-like symbol showing teeth is concerned, this, I would guess, is pure fancy of the later owner, who wanted the blade to be "nicer" (I saw old blade of Cherkez kinjal, artsy decorated in similar way - with Turkish symbols (moon and star engraved and inlayed with gold) recently.
I don´t kow how old the shaskha is, but the new decorations maybe from thirties till now.
I am enclosing motives (but as I said - tiles and textile, no weapons) from the book "Authentic Turkish Designs"

Regards,
Martin

[TVV]

Thank you Martin,

I think what you wrote makes perfect sense. After their displacement by Russia, a lot of Circassians were dispersed within the Ottoman Empire, which gave them shelter. Alternatively, this shashka may be from South-West Georgia in the areas that were under heavy Ottoman influence.

Regards,
Teodor

[ArmsAndAntiques]

The blade designs appear to be more related to ones I've seen on Bukharan Central Asian shashka blades than on Caucasian examples. Though the shape does appear to be less Bukharan than Caucasian. Perhaps a Bukharan craftsman made the blade.

[Jim McDougall]

While Martin may claim no expertise in shashkas, I think he has brilliantly assessed this example, and excellent suggestion and presentation on the Ottoman motif.
I also claim no particular authority on these, but have of course been engaged in research on them on many occasions in certain degree. I would suggest perhaps that this blade may be from mid 19th into around 1870s and is likely Chechen. Reviewing Askhabov (2001, p.129) an example with blade having somewhat similar paneled fullering is from the aul of Dargo (I believe near Grozny).

I agree that this shashka has been refurbished, and it seems that the ornamentation on the scabbard mounts do appear to be 'copied' as well shown by Martin. I would suggest rather than necessarily being done in Turkey, this may have been completed in the industrious commerce in Tblisi, where many Transcaucasian artisans worked.

I agree also that the decorative design on the blade resembles the kind of fanciful and geometric devices seen on many blades of Chechen regions.
I was noting the several drilled or stamped punctions in the cartouche, and believe the makers in Dargo may have used these as a kind of coded signature if I understand correctly the circumstances there during the Murid Wars. That is of course hypothetical on my part.

Definitely an intriguing example!

[TVV]

Thank you your input Gentlemen,

I also thought about a Central Asian origin of the blade, but the hilt and scabbard are very non-Central Asian, and I am yet to see evidence of Bukharan blades flowing west, as opposed to the other way around which is well documented. Chechen work may be a very good guess, and I will look at Askhabov's book for similar examples. Per Rivkin, Tiflis was indeed a major sword production and trade center, and the script may be in Georgian or an imitation of Georgian. For what it is worth, the sword was collected (and still remains) in the Balkans, so at least the concluding point of its journey is known.

I suspect that if anyone can read the script or at least identify what language it is intended to resemble, it may provide a great clue on the blade's origin.

Teodor

[ArmsAndAntiques]

The more I look at it, the more the fuller design appears Central Asian and in particular Afghan. I've had numerous pulwars with this type of crudely done fuller work. However, I'd agree that the overall shape is more Caucasian than anything else.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ArmsAndAntiques

The more I look at it, the more the fuller design appears Central Asian and in particular Afghan. I've had numerous pulwars with this type of crudely done fuller work. However, I'd agree that the overall shape is more Caucasian than anything else.

Most interesting observation A&A and sounds like you've had some good exposure to weaponry from these regions. May I ask more about the paluoars you're referring to, any chance of images or examples of this type fuller pattern on them. I've long been curious about just where in Afghanistan these paluoars were produced. My impression has always been they were more Deccani influenced tulwars from Northwest frontier regions.

[ArmsAndAntiques]

Hi Jim,

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of those as I had them several years ago before I began to systematically keep photos of my pieces. However, just a few weeks ago I had dinner with a friend of mine, an Afghan war vet, who picked up some pieces there and if I remember right at least two of the pieces he showed me had similar fullering.

While I can't produce the photos of those Afghan pieces, I would feel that it would be interesting for someone to show a photo of a definite Caucasian origin piece with a similar blade. I also would say that the fuller work trending towards Central Asian, is also supported by Chinese swords with similar fullering as well, something picked up from Persian-Central Asian aesthetics, as Philip Tom has written about quite eloquently.

Best
LL

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ArmsAndAntiques

Hi Jim,

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of those as I had them several years ago before I began to systematically keep photos of my pieces. However, just a few weeks ago I had dinner with a friend of mine, an Afghan war vet, who picked up some pieces there and if I remember right at least two of the pieces he showed me had similar fullering.

While I can't produce the photos of those Afghan pieces, I would feel that it would be interesting for someone to show a photo of a definite Caucasian origin piece with a similar blade. I also would say that the fuller work trending towards Central Asian, is also supported by Chinese swords with similar fullering as well, something picked up from Persian-Central Asian aesthetics, as Philip Tom has written about quite eloquently.

Best
LL

It would indeed be helpful to have photos of the fullering arrangements from both the paluoars mentioned and of Caucasian examples, but I admit the Chinese aspect is extremely intriguing. Could you say more on which of Philip's works reference these kinds of blades in Chinese swords?

I have come up with something which might lend toward the plausibly Afghan provenance for the blade you have suggested. In considering the rather crude fuller detail I must admit that that would be far out of character of Chechen blades.

That curious device which seems to resemble some kind of bird or other highly stylized image, while reminding me of certain designs from the Caucusus has also brought to mind another region using these kinds of animist pictograph devices. This is the area of Afghanistan now called Nuristan in which the Kafirs occupied. This area was once termed Kafiristan and the native tribes practiced a polytheistic animist religion until they were subjugated by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan in 1896. While they became Muslim, they still carried forth elements of their folk religion and perhaps that may explain the Islamic cartouche coupled with this apparently animist device on the blade.

I have noticed that as you suggest the curvature of some Afghan sabres of shashka form is much the same, and possibly we might find confluence in classification with this Nuristani possibility. I think this could answer in part the provenance of the blade, but the present mounts I believe may still be from Tiblisi (Tiflis)regions and Transcaucasian artisans there.

[TVV]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for keeping the discussion alive. Here are some additional pictures of the blade, showing two decorative panels on both sides, some more detail of the fullering and also the tang.

Regards,
Teodor

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much for the additional photos Teodor, and these remarkably clarify exactly what Antique Arms was saying. If you look at the backstrap of the hilt right at the blade you will see the fixture which is loosely termed the 'calyx'. This is one of the most profound indicators of Central Asian origin, and in this case specifically Afghanistan (look at this location on Khyber knives). I therefore withdraw my Chechen/Caucasian assessment with this new evidence which is of course compelling.
Further I have looked at examples of Afghan shashkas and the profile and curvature of the blade is extremely similar.

What is even more compelling, and remarkable are the views of the other motif on this blade, which even more convinces me that this is from the Nuristan regions of Afghanistan or from that particular tribal culture.
This area of Nuristan is comprised of the former Kafiristan (written of by Roberts in 1896, and famed for Kipling's rendition in "The Man Who Wuld be King"). The Kafirs were subjugated by Afghan Amir Adur Rahman Khan in 1896 and converted to Islam, while the somewhat associated Kalash people of Chitral in Pakistan retain their original animist folk religion and traditions.
The amalgamation of Islamic cartouche (which may be an imitation?) and the pictographic and geometric motif resembling Kafir work suggest of course possible cross diffusion .
I would consider this from regions indicated and probably from early years of the 20th century.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Thank you so much for the additional photos Teodor, and these remarkably clarify exactly what Antique Arms was saying. If you look at the backstrap of the hilt right at the blade you will see the fixture which is loosely termed the 'calyx'. This is one of the most profound indicators of Central Asian origin, and in this case specifically Afghanistan (look at this location on Khyber knives). I therefore withdraw my Chechen/Caucasian assessment with this new evidence which is of course compelling.
Further I have looked at examples of Afghan shashkas and the profile and curvature of the blade is extremely similar.

What is even more compelling, and remarkable are the views of the other motif on this blade, which even more convinces me that this is from the Nuristan regions of Afghanistan or from that particular tribal culture.
This area of Nuristan is comprised of the former Kafiristan (written of by Roberts in 1896, and famed for Kipling's rendition in "The Man Who Wuld be King"). The Kafirs were subjugated by Afghan Amir Adur Rahman Khan in 1896 and converted to Islam, while the somewhat associated Kalash people of Chitral in Pakistan retain their original animist folk religion and traditions.
The amalgamation of Islamic cartouche (which may be an imitation?) and the pictographic and geometric motif resembling Kafir work suggest of course possible cross diffusion .
I would consider this from regions indicated and probably from early years of the 20th century.

Salaams Jim, I find this very interesting. The Kalash believe they are decended from Alexander the Great. Oddly they had no alphabet until about 12 years ago. I urge readers to see http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/...125929206.html for a fascinating vignette into the Kalash situation.

I imagine the cartouche to be Hindi or closely related.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent link Ibrahiim! and this shows the complexity of these ethnic groups in these regions. Actually the Kalash people are linked to the Nuristani (Kafirs) by the same polytheistic religion and in degree with other traditions similar. The tradition of the ancestry to Alexander seems more to similarities to aspects of Greek culture but cannot be proven genetically. Still these groups are fascinating anthropologically as they are so culturally isolated in the regions they occupy.

The fact that this sword seems connected to them and reflecting such a confluence of the symbolic motifs associated with them borne on a sword of the surrounding culture makes this weapon unique indeed

[TVV]

Jim,

This is very interesting. In discussions on Central Asian shashkas, I recall the general consensus being that the form became popular in Central Asia only in the second half of the 19th century, partially due to the Circassian diaspora, and partially due to the strong Russian military influence, following the successful conquest of the region by the Russian Empire.

On this particular sword I think we can agree that the scabbard fittings are bearing a motif that is distinctly Turkish. The hilt is also typical of Caucasus and subsequently Russian examples, and not of the Central Asian type.

If the blade is indeed from Afghanistan, then the history of the sword would be subject to some interesting speculation. The role of the Ottoman Empire in Central Asia during the Great Game was quite small, limited to moral support for the Muslim Khanates which opposed Russia in a futile attempt to retain their independence. We know that the Ottoman Sultan bestowed Yakub Beg of Kashgaria with the title of Emir, which apparently irked St. Petersburg. Kashgaria, as well as Bukhara and Khokand bordered Afghanistan, so assuming the blade is from Nuristan, it could have ended up with a soldier for one of the Khanates, who then fled to the Ottoman Empire after the Russian (or in the case of Kashgaria, Chinese) conquest of the region.

However, to be absolutely convinced on the Afghan origin, I would love to see the same decorative motives from the panels on the sword on another object from the area, even if the "calyx" is pretty convincing itself.

Regards,
Teodor

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Teodor,
Actually the shashka was well established in the Caucusus, but exactly how far back is unclear and seems like the form may be presumed from 18th century, but most known examples date from 19th century. The period after the Murid Wars of the 1850s was I believe when the shashka became adopted into Russian service, naturally with the Cossacks. As many Caucasians entered Russian military service, they often were allowed to retain their heirloom shashas and soon the weapons became popular with Russian officers and military. The Cossacks had been in place long before but their sabres were usually European in form and with various guard styles, though Zaparozhians often favored shamshirs and Ottoman sabres.

From what I have understood, the Uzbek and Afghan forms of these sabres are not considered variants of the shashka, though it is hard to imagine that Russian intervention in those regions did not present influence, but again this was later in the 19th century.

As I noted, this blade is as far as I know remarkably unique as I have not seen such motif nor this type of fullering on one of these swords, and again note that my suggestion is purely speculative. As far as how it ended up in the current mounts must be equally speculative, and given the constant geopolitical flux and diaspora in these regions, any number of possibilities must exist. The presence of Ottoman influenced motif in these mounts is more likely to be the result of artisans from these regions having removed to many regions where these components may have been put together.

It seems that in these turbulent times of the later 19th into the 20th and indeed to this day, most items, especially those which have clearly been refurbished or with incongruent components, we are left to evaluate them almost separately . There are so many possibilities, but the Afghan character of the blade; the Caucasian nature of the hilt and the Kalash nature of the motif in a sword of the early 20th century must be viewed as composite .

I would note that Afghan shashkas invariably have a steel bolster and usually three rivets in the hilt, Caucasian ones do not have the bolster.
The usual Uzbek guardless sabre has five rivets.

[ArmsAndAntiques]

The two works on Chinese swords that Philip wrote reference Chinese blades with fullering influenced by Persian and Central Asian motifs, particularly the L-shape near the ricasso.

The links are attached.
http://www.mandarinmansion.com/publications

First article on sabres in the Met, pg 210.

Second article pg 5, where you can a see a Chinese saber with very similar but much finer fullering work.

Best
LL

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Excellent link Ibrahiim! and this shows the complexity of these ethnic groups in these regions. Actually the Kalash people are linked to the Nuristani (Kafirs) by the same polytheistic religion and in degree with other traditions similar. The tradition of the ancestry to Alexander seems more to similarities to aspects of Greek culture but cannot be proven genetically. Still these groups are fascinating anthropologically as they are so culturally isolated in the regions they occupy.

The fact that this sword seems connected to them and reflecting such a confluence of the symbolic motifs associated with them borne on a sword of the surrounding culture makes this weapon unique indeed

Salaams Jim ~ I have to say that I think the writing style is Georgian or Armenian. I have looked at the decorative floral Saz leaf which is correctly identified as Turkish by Martin Lubojacky (they must have sold 2 copies at least as I have one) though it is not only Turkish as I have seen tiles from Persia decorated with similar form as the Iznik.

I call upon Ariel for his expert view on the script in the cartouche.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[ariel]

I am on vacation, with only rare access to the Internet ( so happens, I got access by chance this very moment), but far, far away from my sharpies and books. Therefore, forgive me for not posting any examples.


IMHO, this is a typical Afghani blade based on the structure of fullers. I have a couple of Pulwars with exactly the same arrangement. To the best of my recollection, there were also brass inlays polished flush with the blade.
The handle and the scabbard are Caucasian, no doubt, but since shashkas were made also in Turkey ( mainly after Circassian exile ) and (less so) in Persia, these later features do not help much.

Caucasian "ghulams" were integral and very significant part of Iranian armies going all the way back to the reign of Shah Abbas the Great: Georgi Saakadze was one of his commanders against the Ottomans, another Georgian, Allahverdi Undiladze, commanded the entire Ghulam corps in his campains in Afghanistan and was the governor of the Fars province , an Armenian Melik Khan was yet another Caucasian commander ( BTW, the artillery corps was built and commanded by the British brothers Anthony and Robert Sherley), etc. The fighting units were composed mainly from the Georgians, Armenians and Circassians but ethnic Persians themselves were regularly given administrative positions. This tradition continued even with Nader Shah.

Thus, it would not be impossible for one of the veterans to bring back some Afghani souvenirs ( a sword?) the blade of which would be recycled into a traditional shashka. The minimal curvature of tulwar/pulwar blades was ideal for shashkas, as opposed to highly curved Persian shamshirs.

Yu.Miller, in his book Caucasian Weapons ( Hermitage collection) shows even stranger Frankensword: a Khanda blade with a classical Georgian handle. Perhaps, from the same campaign:-)

[Jim McDougall]

Ibrahiim thank you for your astute assessment on the script! which seems to further support the observations of Martin, Teodor and Antique Arms regarding Afghan provenance as well as the Ottoman influence in the mounts.
Ariel your knowledge on these weapons, in particular of course shashkas and Central Asian swords is remarkable, as evidenced by the incredibly detailed material you have posted while not even near your references!

As Antique Arms has noted, there are some basic similarities in blade features in the Chinese weapons illustrated in the articles by Philip Tom, however these indicate later influence from apparently 'Near Eastern' and perhaps 'qalachuri' blades with segmented fuller panels

I am unclear on these influences appearing in the Chinese blades in the 19th century but I think the possible scenarios for the confluence of Afghan and Georgian features in the sword overall as earlier suggested by Teodor and masterfully described further by Ariel give us an excellent 'forensic' analysis of this sword .

Gentlemen this is exactly the kind of discussion and exchange of observations I always hope for on these pages! and I cannot thank you all enough for your valuable participation. Sharing this kind of data enables us all to learn from the stuff which is often not in the books, and from experience. Outstanding!

[Gavin Nugent]

Some further ideas for thought.

I am with Ariel in that this blade is from the Afghanistan region and Sindh, not Bukhara or elsewhere. The blade is typical of the forms seen in these regions even if the scabbard fitting style is not. The brass inlay in the blade is also typical of the regions. Of note is the long forte before the fullering arrangements...this is typically a Persian influenced thing to my eye, based on the many trade blades from the region.

The grip slab profile is Caucasian but the manner in which the grip slabs are attached is also known in the Afghan regions. There is what appears to be the remains of a calynx at the end of a simple applied top grip strap, something also typically seen in the Afghan regions.

Many Ottoman made Shashka are known and considering the long relationship that Russia and Turkey have had over the centuries, both good and bad, and that many people from both regions are known to have settled East of the Caspian Sea, these ethnic roots could have been the influence behind this examples scabbard fittings, and perhaps a preferred hilt style to the owner.

From memory, the fuller styles are seen on Kukri, Persian Shamshir, Indian Sabres, Chinese sabres.

Gavin

[TVV]

This is why this forum is so great: the knowledge and ability of the members to examine all angles in identifying a sword or a dagger. An Afghan origin of the blade is certainly not what I originally expected, but the evidence seems to certainly point in that direction.

Once again, many thanks to all participants in this thread,

Teodor