CAUCASUS, DATED AH 1337 / 1919 AD

Details

A WALRUS IVORY AND GOLD MOUNTED KINJAL
CAUCASUS, DATED AH 1337 / 1919 AD
Of traditional form, the walrus ivory handle carved with scrolling foliate decoration and the figure of Imam Shamil, the blade with a groove either side inlaid in gold with inscriptions and scrolling vine, the scabbard with gold mounts showing two of Imam Shamil's Na'ibs at the top and Napoleon Bonaparte below, inscribed and dated on the grip, the scabbard housing a small walrus ivory hilted hand knife
22 ½ in. (57 cm.) long with scabbard

Provenance

Collection of José Mesquita, Brazil, from 1930s-1940s
Received as a gift from the above by Raul Paletto (c.1903-?) in the early 1950s
By descent to Carlota Paletto (1910-2001) in the late 1950s-early 1960s
By descent to Olintho Italo Vicente Pedro Mazarella (1922-2006)
Acquired from the above by the previous owner in 2004
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006

Engraved

On the blade, dama [sic] iqbaluhu wa dawlatuhu wa barakatuhu abadan 'amaluhu [sic] wa malikuhu hajj ahmad bin hajja [sic] Muhammad, 'May his prosperity, wealth and blessings be everlasting. It’s maker and owner, Hajj Ahmad bin Hajja [sic] Muhammad'
On the grip, … al-haji ahmad bin haji Mehmed', … al-Haji Ahmad bin Haji Mehmed'

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

The carved figure on the walrus ivory handle appears to depict the Caucasian leader Imam Shamil (1797-1871), the third Imam of the Caucasian Imamate. Although slightly altered, this full-body image may be inspired by Theodor Horschelt's (1829-1871) painting Captive Shamil in front of the Commander-in-Chief Prince Bariatinsky on 25 August 1859 (Collection of the Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts, Makhachkala, 1863) showing Shamil's capitulation. The figures on the upper mount of the scabbard appear to be two of Imam Shamil’s na'ibs – local leaders in Dagestan during the Caucasian Imamate. They are shown wearing traditional Caucasian fur hats and cherkeskas.

The full-body depiction on the lower edge of the scabbard seems to be of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and is similar to the figure in Vasily Vereshchagin's (1842-1904) painting Napoleon watching the fire of Moscow (Fire in the Kremlin) (1887-1898) from the series Napoleon in Russia which has been widely reproduced in literature.

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