RARE DAGHESTAN SABRE SWORD, EARLY 20TH C. NIELLO, GOLD AND SILVER INLAYS, RUSSIAN EMPIRE, SWORD.
Origin: Russian Empire, Daghestan, early 20th century.
Length 84,5 cm. Weight – 450 g.
Blade: single edged steel blade of significant curvature, double edged about 1/4 from the tip. Two narrow lines starting from handle, then narrowing and going almost until the tip. One wide fuller, which starts about 1/3 from the handle and goes almost until the tip. Blade made in Amuzgi village in Daghestan, North Caucasus, a center of blade smiths in late 19th / early 20th c. Length of the blade - 73 cm, width – 32 mm.
Hilt: Pistol – shaped hilt. Iron crossguard covered with silver and niello, highly decorated with hammered floral motifs. Quillons with round ends. Grip is made of light bone, inlaid with gold wire forming delicate floral ornamentation surrounded by single line of silver incrustation emphasizing the shape of grip. Silvered bronze or brass pommel decorated on edges fixed to the handle with single rivet on side. Silvered iron chain connecting pommel and crossguard.
Scabbard: absent.
Notices: very nice example of Dagestan swordsmith work. Rare.
Condition report: blade covered by original patina, pitting from corrosion, especially towards the tip. Traces of new brown rust. Numerous cuts on 1/3 of the blade from the tip. Some cuts in the rest of the blade. Bone grip has yellow color original patination. Fragments of golden and silver wire inlays are missing. Crossguard retaining silvering and remains of niello. Lower langets have a crack. One quillon has a crack too. Pitting and dents on the pommel.
Object with the expertise by Mr. Alexander Gvozdevitch.
Keywords: sword, saber, sabre, Sabel, Schwert, szabla, szablya, glaive, Dolch, hanger, сабля