Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

ariel · 26th June 2020, 06:50 PM

I am reviving this topic to point out a dramatic change in Georgian weapons that occurred over the past several years.

Originally, in the 1990s, contemporary Georgian dealers were able to sell truly old examples. But inevitably those got exhausted. Instead came a flurry of junk made by amateurs. With time, there came a small but growing group of enthusiasts rediscovering history of Caucasian weapons and old techniques. They were greatly assisted by books written by Kirill Rivkin who systematized the localities, varieties, metallurgy and decorative techniques of Caucasian bladed weapons. Through trial and error they managed to produce modern examples that would definitely qualified as “good” by the old masters. Of course, they are not yet at the level of Eliarov, Papov, Purunsuzov and their illustrious contemporaries, but with time and money there is no reason to be pessimistic.

26th June 2020, 06:50 PM	#27
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I am reviving this topic to point out a dramatic change in Georgian weapons that occurred over the past several years. Originally, in the 1990s, contemporary Georgian dealers were able to sell truly old examples. But inevitably those got exhausted. Instead came a flurry of junk made by amateurs. With time, there came a small but growing group of enthusiasts rediscovering history of Caucasian weapons and old techniques. They were greatly assisted by books written by Kirill Rivkin who systematized the localities, varieties, metallurgy and decorative techniques of Caucasian bladed weapons. Through trial and error they managed to produce modern examples that would definitely qualified as “good” by the old masters. Of course, they are not yet at the level of Eliarov, Papov, Purunsuzov and their illustrious contemporaries, but with time and money there is no reason to be pessimistic.