Georgian Shashka
 

Hello,

I just got this Georgian Shashka and would like to know more about its blade. Is it European? Is it Daghestani? Is it Russian? Or is it maybe Georgian? :shrug:

This is a late 19-early 20 century blade. The blade is Daghestani, most likely Amuzgi village. Etched eagle is often accompanied by a stamp of Mudunov’s workshop. The handle with false filigree is reminiscent of Tiflis manufacture, although Mudunov’s workshop was located in Vladikavkaz The etched figure of a man with saber may be related to shamkhals of Tarki, who were allowed to wear a feather in their headdress ( as per late Astvatsaturyan). Scabbard leather is replaced, and you may wish to check its wooden inserts

Did you buy it straight from Georgia?

There is an abundance of first-rate professionals there who do excellent restauration or even total creation of Caucasian weapons. I am not good enough to pinpoint any more suspicious things from photographs.

Oliver or Kirill Rivkin are orders of magnitude better and you may wish to ask them.

Thank you Ariel very much! :)

I hope Oliver sees my posting and replies. If not, I will contact him directly.

Do you know how can I contact Kiril Rivkin? Is he a member of this or any other forum? :)

This is a good example of the Georgian work Ariel is referring to.
The grip looks original. The blade is old but may have been embellished recently. The scabbard is modern work: the mounts are set with pieces of women's belts, and the leather is new.

Thank you Oliver very much!
I like this blade a lot and I am quite relieved to hear it is not European.
:)

What makes you think the blade is Georgian :confused: ...аnd the chance to be from Dagestan is zero.
Unfortunately, this is a very recent compilation.The auctions are full of copies from Georgia and skillful craftsmen from St. Petersburg.

Regretfully, Osobist is correct in general, and I tried to hint at the same trend: former Soviet republics are chock full of false “Caucasian “ weapons. After all, what else are they capable of manufacturing for export except for vodka, fur coats and caviar?

Nevertheless, in this particular case the situation is not as horrible: I am almost sure that the handle is original, and the blade also has a very high chance of being contemporaneous Daghestani.

I was a bit uneasy about the mounts but their origin as per Oliver surprised me. I would never have thought about this source! That’s the difference between an amateur ( me) and a seasoned professional ( Oliver).

Scabbard aside, IMHO it is a combination of Daghestani blade and Tiflis handle.
Whether it was assembled thus 130 years or 130 days ago is a matter of debate. Somehow, I doubt that anybody will go as far as disassembling the shashka in search of epoxy glue.