Lew Waldman's Estate
Sale of Arms & Armour Collection
Seller ID: lew-57

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8 - Bosnian Bichaq Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt, c. 1890

This knife has a 9¾ inch (24.5 cm) single edged blade with a very slightly arching (concave) decorated back and a convex cutting edge with a slight central belly. There is an incised maker's mark on one side of the blade; at this point the back is 0.165 inch (0.42 cm) thick. The blade faces are slightly hollow ground (concave) near the hilt and transition to flat and then convex towards the tip; the transition comes closer to the hilt on the unmarked side. The hilt begins with a brass bolster with rocker engraved (zig zag) lines; a similarly decorated brass strap runs around the hilt in the midline centered on the plane of the blade. Over the ears (expansion at the hilt end) are two rows each with several small spherical beads, a few of which are absent (have been lost). Bone scales with fine cracks are fitted on each side of the hilt and are decorated with brass tubes and wire on end and there are also a few losses of these elements. Rust staining focally surrounds the iron pins securing the scales. A wooden sheath covered with thin embossed sheet brass with minimal losses slides up to cover about half of the bolster. The knife measures 14½ inches (37 cm) in length and weighs just over 6 ounces (178 grams). Within the sheath, the overall length is 14¾ inches (37.5 cm) with a weight of about 7 and one third ounces (213 grams).


Bosnian Bichaq Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt

Bosnian Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt

Bosnian Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt

Bosnian Bichaq Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt

Bosnian Knife with Decorated Bone Hilt

Bosnian Knife back edge decoration



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