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Old 15th December 2018, 02:44 PM   #1
mariusgmioc
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Default 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?
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Old 15th December 2018, 06:58 PM   #2
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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.
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Old 15th December 2018, 09:43 PM   #3
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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?
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Old 16th December 2018, 04:52 PM   #4
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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.
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Old 16th December 2018, 06:03 PM   #5
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Thank you Oliver very much!
I like this blade a lot and I am quite relieved to hear it is not European.
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Old 16th December 2018, 09:19 PM   #6
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What makes you think the blade is Georgian ...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.
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Old 16th December 2018, 10:27 PM   #7
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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.
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