Caucasian dagger

ilias · 15th July 2016, 01:15 PM

Hi everyone,
my recently aquisition is this small dagger. 25,5cm long.
The handle is possibly ivory.It has nice blade shape with koftghari work on it but now worn off most of it.
I think i see some letter that used to be with gold but now fade out.
Scabbard with niello work both sides.
Can anyone suggest any spesific country of origin?I think is Caucasian but it is far from my knowledge field.
Ariel please take a look

Any comments are welcome and useful.
Tanks in advance for any help.

ariel · 15th July 2016, 06:34 PM

I do not think it is Caucasian. Turkish, more likely. Or Persian. Even North Indians ( Afghanis included) have niello as a decorative medium.

BTW, famous contemporary Circassian jeweller/knifemaker Asya Eutych claims to be of Greek origin and swears that niello was introduced to the Caucasus by the Greeks.

mariusgmioc · 15th July 2016, 06:48 PM

Very interesting! A Kard with a recurved blade. Never seen one before and have no idea where it may come from.

ilias · 15th July 2016, 06:55 PM

Dear Ariel hi,
Thanks a lot for your reply,
You are right!!!!!At the picture I see the word ""amal" but I can't figure out the rest of the name.
I believe that this kind of work can also suggest a Bukhara origin?
Is this possible?
The information about the niello is something I didn't knew about it.
Thanks a lot .

ariel · 16th July 2016, 02:00 AM

Niello was brought to Bukhara by Caucasian masters who in turn learned enameling. But the motives are not Caucasian, IMHO. And the entire pattern, from the blade to the handle, does not scream Caucasian to me.

It has a semblance of tunkou, which is definitely not Caucasian.

Oliver Pinchot · 16th July 2016, 03:57 AM

The dagger is Persian, latter 18th century. At some point, it found its way to the Ottoman Empire where the hilt was reworked. The scabbard is Ottoman and was added in the latter 19th century. The engraved and nielloed silver mounts can, at their most essential, be called Circassian in style, however they've been so heavily conflated with Ottoman elements it's difficult to tell.
These daggers are not common but one does see them. When dated, the date is usually found on the reverse of the locket and falls in the 1870s-1890s.

ilias · 16th July 2016, 10:07 AM

Thank you all for your answers.
I am happily surprised!!!
I was confused by the shape of the blade and the scabbard decoration!
Thanks a lot again.

15th July 2016, 01:15 PM	#1
ilias Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: GREECE Posts: 73	Caucasian dagger Hi everyone, my recently aquisition is this small dagger. 25,5cm long. The handle is possibly ivory.It has nice blade shape with koftghari work on it but now worn off most of it. I think i see some letter that used to be with gold but now fade out. Scabbard with niello work both sides. Can anyone suggest any spesific country of origin?I think is Caucasian but it is far from my knowledge field. Ariel please take a look Any comments are welcome and useful. Tanks in advance for any help. Attached Images

15th July 2016, 06:34 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I do not think it is Caucasian. Turkish, more likely. Or Persian. Even North Indians ( Afghanis included) have niello as a decorative medium. BTW, famous contemporary Circassian jeweller/knifemaker Asya Eutych claims to be of Greek origin and swears that niello was introduced to the Caucasus by the Greeks.

15th July 2016, 06:48 PM	#3
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	Very interesting! A Kard with a recurved blade. Never seen one before and have no idea where it may come from.

15th July 2016, 06:55 PM	#4
ilias Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: GREECE Posts: 73	Dear Ariel hi, Thanks a lot for your reply, You are right!!!!!At the picture I see the word ""amal" but I can't figure out the rest of the name. I believe that this kind of work can also suggest a Bukhara origin? Is this possible? The information about the niello is something I didn't knew about it. Thanks a lot .

16th July 2016, 02:00 AM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Niello was brought to Bukhara by Caucasian masters who in turn learned enameling. But the motives are not Caucasian, IMHO. And the entire pattern, from the blade to the handle, does not scream Caucasian to me. It has a semblance of tunkou, which is definitely not Caucasian.

16th July 2016, 03:57 AM	#6
Oliver Pinchot Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 457	The dagger is Persian, latter 18th century. At some point, it found its way to the Ottoman Empire where the hilt was reworked. The scabbard is Ottoman and was added in the latter 19th century. The engraved and nielloed silver mounts can, at their most essential, be called Circassian in style, however they've been so heavily conflated with Ottoman elements it's difficult to tell. These daggers are not common but one does see them. When dated, the date is usually found on the reverse of the locket and falls in the 1870s-1890s.

16th July 2016, 10:07 AM	#7
ilias Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: GREECE Posts: 73	Thank you all for your answers. I am happily surprised!!! I was confused by the shape of the blade and the scabbard decoration! Thanks a lot again.