ariel
11th May 2009, 01:50 AM
Got it VERY cheap on e-bay.
These puppies are rare.
The handle is covered with nielloed silver and the belt alone is a treasure, with several attachements and beautifully nielloed silver. Nothing is hallmarked, of course: even then Georgians were free spirits and economic anarchists; the idea of paying taxes to the Russian treasury never appealed to them. There are 3 Russian coins attached, the latest one from 1916.
The scabbard betrays a very pragmatic approach: brass instead of silver, in a Khevsuri style. The blade.... Well, at that time swordfights were on a decline, to put it mildly, and the quality of the blade is not great. But, of course, there are multiple " gurda" signs to advertise the blade's deadly ability and ancient origin.
One would wear this saber to a famous Georgian banquet, with wine flowing like water, tables screeching under the weight of food and with unending and very flowery toasts by a Tamada ( head toastmaster) quoting poems by Rustaveli and leading the entire company's polyphonic singing.
Love these people....
These puppies are rare.
The handle is covered with nielloed silver and the belt alone is a treasure, with several attachements and beautifully nielloed silver. Nothing is hallmarked, of course: even then Georgians were free spirits and economic anarchists; the idea of paying taxes to the Russian treasury never appealed to them. There are 3 Russian coins attached, the latest one from 1916.
The scabbard betrays a very pragmatic approach: brass instead of silver, in a Khevsuri style. The blade.... Well, at that time swordfights were on a decline, to put it mildly, and the quality of the blade is not great. But, of course, there are multiple " gurda" signs to advertise the blade's deadly ability and ancient origin.
One would wear this saber to a famous Georgian banquet, with wine flowing like water, tables screeching under the weight of food and with unending and very flowery toasts by a Tamada ( head toastmaster) quoting poems by Rustaveli and leading the entire company's polyphonic singing.
Love these people....