yatagan hilt and scabbard, opinion welcomed

mariusgmioc · 4th May 2021, 08:27 PM

Judging from the photos, it is an excellent 19th century Ottoman Yataghan. And my guess (based on the style of decoration) is that's from the Balkans. But this is just a guess.

To me, all parts appear to be original except the velvet which is a later replacement.

Definitely original scabbard.

Yes, fittings are gilt silver.

What is interesting with Ottoman silver alloys is that they tend to be much more resistant to oxidation than silver. High grade silver alloys oxidize and turn black in a few months but Ottoman silver alloys will keep their shine much longer, for years. Occasionally they may develop a faint yellowish patina from the copper/brass in their composition.

I suggest you take better photos of the koftgari and ask Kwiatek to help you with the translation of the text.

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4th May 2021, 08:27 PM	#8
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,911	Judging from the photos, it is an excellent 19th century Ottoman Yataghan. And my guess (based on the style of decoration) is that's from the Balkans. But this is just a guess. To me, all parts appear to be original except the velvet which is a later replacement. Definitely original scabbard. Yes, fittings are gilt silver. What is interesting with Ottoman silver alloys is that they tend to be much more resistant to oxidation than silver. High grade silver alloys oxidize and turn black in a few months but Ottoman silver alloys will keep their shine much longer, for years. Occasionally they may develop a faint yellowish patina from the copper/brass in their composition. I suggest you take better photos of the koftgari and ask Kwiatek to help you with the translation of the text.