Lot Essay
Three shashquas in the Wallace Collection (Nos. A535, A714 and A715) have blades marked in a similar fashion
Details
A CAUCASIAN SHASHQUA
MID-19TH CENTURY
With earlier slightly curved single-edged blade double-edged towards the point and with three fullers along the back-edge on each side, stamped on one side with various repeated letters between two 'sickle' marks, and ivory grip of characteristic form (cracked and chipped), in original black leather-covered wooden scabbard (repaired at the base) with nielloed silver suspension mounts each carrying a ring, and later nielloed silver chape engraved with scrolls
31½in. (78.9cm.) blade
MID-19TH CENTURY
With earlier slightly curved single-edged blade double-edged towards the point and with three fullers along the back-edge on each side, stamped on one side with various repeated letters between two 'sickle' marks, and ivory grip of characteristic form (cracked and chipped), in original black leather-covered wooden scabbard (repaired at the base) with nielloed silver suspension mounts each carrying a ring, and later nielloed silver chape engraved with scrolls
31½in. (78.9cm.) blade