Albanian Long Musket, mystery inscription

[thdrivas]

Hello Everybody,

I recently aquired this tanaka style albanian long gun and I would like to ask some questions about it -- it has some interesting features. First, there is the gun makes mark, can anyone recognize it? Where exactly is it from? What time period? There is also an inscription on the top of the barrel near the lock mechanism that appears to be written in the Cyrillic text but is not any language I can understand. I do not think it is serb, though the first word resembles "sivo" or silverish grey in slavic. I think it also could be from Sivota near Ioannina in Epiros, Greece. Can anyone help - what does it mean?

[TVV]

Congratulations on a very nice gun. Unfortunately, I cannot help with the inscription, but it is possible that the engraver was illiterate and was copying the inscription from somewhere else, presumably to add value to the barrel.

Regards,
Teodor

[Valjhun]

Verry nice gun indeed.
Not albanian, but probably Montenegrin tanchica. Inscription in cyrilics, but makes no sense to me: "SIVOIS USVIOM" So maybe an illiterate, like TVV wisely suggested.

[Battara]

I agree it's in cyrrilic and I can't make any sense out of it either.

Is the back area chased silver? Can't tell from the pictures.

[thdrivas]

Thank you all for your thoughts. First, Battara, I dont think its silver but its certainly highly engraved on the metal. Could you clarify what you mean?

I think I found some more information about this make of the gun. If you look in "The arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period" by Elgood, Chapter 11 on Balkan long guns, you'll see item 195 looks very similar to mine with even those brass holders along the barrel the same. There it is described as an "Arnautka with two-stage smoothbor barrel with flared muzzle (which mine also has though not pictured) and brass rear-sight, 18th century. Probably made in Brescia or Boka Kotorska for the nothern Albanian and Montenegrin market." Therefore I think Valjhun you're absolutely right, thanks very much. And thanks TVV I hadn't thought of the inscriber as being illiterate as a possibility, very interesting!