Afghan shashkas

Jim McDougall · 26th September 2019, 08:32 PM

While Im no expert on shashkas, nor especially shamshirs, Ive never seen a shamshir with opening slot except on purely Ottoman examples with 'extremely' parabolic (deeply curved) blades ( I have one of these with narrow deeply curved blades with long scabbard slot to accommodate).

That is why I noted this blade seems more curved than the examples I have seen of the ubiquitous 'Assad Allah' blades with lion pictograph (as I mentioned earlier per the Pinchot article of 2002 I cited).

I feel pretty sure this scabbard is made for this shashka for that among other features, for example, aren't the 'reverse' carry rings a distinction of the Caucasian shashkas ?

The points made pertaining to the tang are well made, and I honestly missed that (bonk) . The tang would most certainly need to be lower to accommodate this hilt. For me, more suggestion that the scabbard was made to fit this sword. As Charles has mentioned, the 'arabesque' engraving on the mounts do not seem in character with Persian work (of course) and the nature of the mounts seem more Caucasian, in my perspective.

When Elgood noted Caucasian blades often found in Arab context, it would seem perhaps these Persian trade blades may have entered the mix of blades coming from those regions in trade. If they were indeed present in the Caucusus, is it not possible for one to be mounted in the Caucasian manner accordingly in those regions?

I do not mean to detract from the Afghan attribution here, but honestly am asking these things to better understand the possibilities. I notice also the scabbard chape 'drag', which is a European sabre feature, and Afghans in the latter 19th c. were becoming profoundly Anglicized. A normal shashka scabbard chape would not have a 'drag' in Caucasian context, but perhaps an Afghan would given these circumstances.

26th September 2019, 08:32 PM	#11
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	While Im no expert on shashkas, nor especially shamshirs, Ive never seen a shamshir with opening slot except on purely Ottoman examples with 'extremely' parabolic (deeply curved) blades ( I have one of these with narrow deeply curved blades with long scabbard slot to accommodate). That is why I noted this blade seems more curved than the examples I have seen of the ubiquitous 'Assad Allah' blades with lion pictograph (as I mentioned earlier per the Pinchot article of 2002 I cited). I feel pretty sure this scabbard is made for this shashka for that among other features, for example, aren't the 'reverse' carry rings a distinction of the Caucasian shashkas ? The points made pertaining to the tang are well made, and I honestly missed that (bonk) . The tang would most certainly need to be lower to accommodate this hilt. For me, more suggestion that the scabbard was made to fit this sword. As Charles has mentioned, the 'arabesque' engraving on the mounts do not seem in character with Persian work (of course) and the nature of the mounts seem more Caucasian, in my perspective. When Elgood noted Caucasian blades often found in Arab context, it would seem perhaps these Persian trade blades may have entered the mix of blades coming from those regions in trade. If they were indeed present in the Caucusus, is it not possible for one to be mounted in the Caucasian manner accordingly in those regions? I do not mean to detract from the Afghan attribution here, but honestly am asking these things to better understand the possibilities. I notice also the scabbard chape 'drag', which is a European sabre feature, and Afghans in the latter 19th c. were becoming profoundly Anglicized. A normal shashka scabbard chape would not have a 'drag' in Caucasian context, but perhaps an Afghan would given these circumstances. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 26th September 2019 at 08:52 PM.