According to our mutual acquaintance, Alan, this one is Megrelian, from Western Georgia, most likely from Zugdidi.
I cannot argue with either opinion, both Rivkin and Alan are orders of magnitude more knowledgeable, but the difference is striking. My guess . with rare exceptions( Gurian kindjals, Bol'shie Atagi blades and perhaps couple more instances I do not know about) it is exceedingly difficult to pinpoint the exact origin. The area is tiny, the migration of masters and ethnic motives was enormous, and after ~ 1860 every national element was used interchangeably within the mass production in workshops in Tbilisi and Vladikavkaz.
Nice one, no doubt. I would clean it to the max, without erasing the symbols.
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