Silver Balkan Bichaq

[Battara]

Up for sharing is a balkan bichaq made of silver filigree and red coral, and a scabbard of embossed silver. This comes from Foca, Bosnia and is 19c.

Enjoy

[Yannis]

Nice knife but I wonder why they made the scabbards so ugly.
First time I saw a knife like this I thought that scabbard was later, lesser quality. But after few of them, it is common. Fine hilts and lousy scabbards :confused:

[Valjhun]

Nice one Battara!

But when you'd like to say Foča, just write Focha. ;)

It is usual that scabbards are lesser quality. I guess that beeing so 'cos usually thoose daggers were carried thrust through the belt in such manner that only the hilt could be seen.

[Battara]

OH, I don't know.....I think the scabbard is kind of cute... :p

[Battara]

Interesting note: according to Elgood (The Arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period, p. 51) this little knife is called a mali noz, a close quarter knife.

[TVV]

Mali noz would literally mean small knife, as opposed to dugi noz or long knife, which again according to Elgood is how the Bosnians somtimes called the yataghan. That being said, both of them were for close quarters combat, were they not?

Regards,
Teodor

[Battara]

I guess one closer than the other. ;)