Lot 34
34
AN IMPERIAL COSSACK SHASHKA AND AN IMPERIAL PARCEL-GILT, NIELLO AND ENAMEL SHASHKA AND KINZHAL
AN IMPERIAL COSSACK SHASHKA AND AN IMPERIAL PARCEL-GILT, NIELLO AND ENAMEL SHASHKA AND KINZHAL

KUBACHI, CAUCASUS, 1899

Details
AN IMPERIAL COSSACK SHASHKA AND AN IMPERIAL PARCEL-GILT, NIELLO AND ENAMEL SHASHKA AND KINZHAL
Kubachi, Caucasus, 1899
Comprising shashka, kinzhal, leather belt with ivory engraved gilt tips, cross-belt and straps en suite, of silver, parcel-gilt and nielloed with scrolling foliage, inset with ivory plaques inlaid with gold scroll-work and at intervals with enamelled panels, the blade of the shashka with double fuller, encrusted with Arabic inscriptions in gold, on each side, 'To the King of Kings without equal, a sword of revenge on your enemies, from His Highness Mohammed ibn Hussain', and 'May God preserve the powerful Sultan and make prosperous and Tsar Nicholas Aleksandrovich and may He make him great, lead him into paradise and may God bless the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna and their offspring, and Grand Duke Mikhail Aleksandrovich and all their ancestors', the blade of the kinzhal signed 'Osman' (in Cyrillic), and 'Made by Mohammed, in 1317' (in Arabic), the scabbard of the sword with the cypher of Tsar Nicholas II, in velvet lined fitted wooden case
The shashka 31¼in. (94cm.) long; the kinzhal 19½in. (49.5cm.) long
Provenance
The Hammer Galleries

Lot Essay

This highly decorated shashka and kinzhal were probably worn by Nicholas II with the uniform of the Konvoi, the Tsar's personal Cossack escort.
It is also an extremely good example of the artistic skills developed by caucasian sword makers at the turn of the century, making such weapons extremely desirable among Russian officers.
A sword with such an inscription dedicated to all members of the Imperial Family is probably unique. It is interesting to notice that the sword was executed before the birth of the Tsarevich Aleksei Nikolaevich in 1904, which explains the mention of Grand Duke Michael, brother of Nicholas II, then heir to the Russian throne.

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