Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Ornate Caucasian Shashka ? with Motto

ariel · 19th January 2006, 10:07 PM

Radu:"Ariel interesting mention n that "ringing" of the Hungarian swords, where did you hear about that? "
Astvatsaturyan, where else? Her book is a BIble of the Caucasian swords! If, as the publishers ("Atlant")state, an English edition is in the pipeline, buy it!!!!
As to the issue of "replacement" handle: I do not think it is a replacement. Circassian masters got European blades an had to work with them. Pay attention that the handle has a small "skirt", covering just a bit of the blade. this was a routine part of Shashkas and, if the inscription on the handle was a bit too close to the tang, it was partially covered. The Circassians could not read it anyway. The quality of the silverwork and the niello is very high and definitely up to very demanding local standards. Circassian shashkas were pretty early and had very clean and uncluttered design. This changed when shashkas and kindjals started to be mass produced in large workshops (Omarov, Guzunov, Mudunov etc.). Those used over-sumptious "Kubachi" patterns, a lot of ivory, gilding, enamel etc. for the buyers who wanted a Caucasian souvenir, - exotic, wild, rich, but.... not necessarily battle-ready.
Something to hang on the wall rug in their boring Central Russian estates and impress the neighbors.
This shashka is sober, clean and honest. And, IMHO, genuine from head to toe.

19th January 2006, 10:07 PM	#15
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Radu:"Ariel interesting mention n that "ringing" of the Hungarian swords, where did you hear about that? " Astvatsaturyan, where else? Her book is a BIble of the Caucasian swords! If, as the publishers ("Atlant")state, an English edition is in the pipeline, buy it!!!! As to the issue of "replacement" handle: I do not think it is a replacement. Circassian masters got European blades an had to work with them. Pay attention that the handle has a small "skirt", covering just a bit of the blade. this was a routine part of Shashkas and, if the inscription on the handle was a bit too close to the tang, it was partially covered. The Circassians could not read it anyway. The quality of the silverwork and the niello is very high and definitely up to very demanding local standards. Circassian shashkas were pretty early and had very clean and uncluttered design. This changed when shashkas and kindjals started to be mass produced in large workshops (Omarov, Guzunov, Mudunov etc.). Those used over-sumptious "Kubachi" patterns, a lot of ivory, gilding, enamel etc. for the buyers who wanted a Caucasian souvenir, - exotic, wild, rich, but.... not necessarily battle-ready. Something to hang on the wall rug in their boring Central Russian estates and impress the neighbors. This shashka is sober, clean and honest. And, IMHO, genuine from head to toe. Last edited by ariel; 19th January 2006 at 10:29 PM.