I am coming in late on this, but I wanted to note here that I recently had the opportunity to get to know Sergey, and ultimately to interview him for an article in Objet.art. I cannot emphasize enough the amazing knowledge he has acquired through his tenacious research specializing in Caucasian arms.
This article goes to the incredibly esoteric area of the actual makers and shops who were behind the production of these remarkable weapons, and that the reason behind this esoteric aura is the lack of information which has remained a daunting factor in their study.
One of the most exciting facets of studying these beautiful arms is to finally learn more on the men who made them, and the contexts in which they were produced.
Obviously, the areas on Caucasian arms are quite arcane, especially as they are not commonly available in the west, and when they are offered, the costs are typically prohibitive. However there are times when an opportunity comes, and as someone who has had that occasion several times in a virtual lifetime of collecting, and having this kind of material offers wonderful dimension to the forms, even if contextual and not directly applicable.
For historians, the stories of the Caucasian wars and the fascinating history of the warriors of these peoples is hard to describe. I got my first shashka back in the early 90s, and can recall my excitement as I had come across a novel, "The Lost Sword of Shamyl" (Lewis Stanton Palen, 1927).......the romantic in me always thought, 'what if?'
Imam Shamyl was a Daghestani leader in the Murid War (1829-1859) and one of the most powerful figures in these places and times.