Ornate Caucasian Shashka ? with Motto - Any Info ?

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Radu Transylvanicus

An amazing sabre, really interesting...Few facts and last but not least, my humble opinion:
The RECTE FACIENDO NEMINEM TIMEAS (or in some cases “TIMEO”) is an old medieval and Christian knightly motto and it translates : “By doing right, shall fear no one”. A variation is also RECTE FACIENDO SECURUS meaning : "Safe, by doing right"
The sword of general Adam Albrecht Neipperg (early 1800’s) from Glauco Lombardi Museum in Parma, Italy, bears the exact same motto. It is not the only one, of course... Otherwise, it is too vague in usage, since it was used anywhere from England to Russia in varied times, from family crests to blades and money. In general it is to be observed in the German world more than anywhere else including the old thaler (old coin, the grandfather of dollar) at the very end of 16th, early 17th century ). See this example:
http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/vso/v11/i...tml?depart=872
In my opinion, much like the rest, I believe the grip is a later addition, by the use of a Caucasian (possibly a Christian Georgian, Armenian) or maybe a Cossack. The trade or trophy blade is probably Polish, between 150 and 300 yeas old, INMHO.

Sorry, Radu, for disagreeing.
The ornamentation is purely Circassian and not Georgian or Armenian. Armenians did not use shashkas, but rather Iranian-type swords (shamshirs).Cossacks are ethnic Slavs (Russian/Ukrainian) settled in the border areas. Of course, they acquired the taste for the weapons of their adversaries and started using shashkas, but this one is genuine Circassian (no way, of course, to say who was the real owner, because it could have been a trophy). A Tulwar captured and used by a Turk is still Indo-Persian.
This looks to me like a German blade, not Polish: this is based on the ornamentation and the absense of Polish symbolics and inscriptions. There was a vigorous importation of European light cavalry saber blades to the Caucasus, because they were ideal for shashkas and valued a lot. South Germany and Styria were very well represented. Hungarian were considered the top because they emitted a ringing sound when drawn from the scabbard. As a result, many German manufacturers put Hungarian ornamentation on their blades. Locals did the same.
Trade practices did not change much since and one can buy Louis Vuitton bag, Rado watch or Chanel perfume all made in China.
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