Unusual Balkan "Yataghan" for Comments

[TVV]

This item was reportedly discovered in an old house in North-Eastern Bulgaria. I have never seen anything quite like it. To me it appears to be a Persian export wootz blade, hilted in the Western Balkans. What is interesting is that the blade appears to have been made this way originally, and it is also short - the length of the entire sword is 80cm, which is about the normal size for a yataghan. I am calling it a yataghan for lack of a better term.

Has anyone seen another example and what is your opinion on the origin of this one?

Thank you,
Teodor

[ALEX]

Interesting sword. would not call it Yataghan though. the blade is Persian indeed. Could be made as a child sword, then later rehilted. the hilt and the way it's mounted resembles shaska. Does hilt split in the end?

[Gavin Nugent]

I wonder if this, with the animal faces on the hilt, that it may have been fashioned as a hunting sword using a recycled blade? I would personally want a guard to stop my hand slipping forward though.

[TVV]

Thank you gentlemen,

Some great observations. The pommel forks per the attached photo. The way it forks to me is much more reminiscent of yataghans, rather than a shashka though. Also, the niello decoration is found on Greek items, such as #408 from Elgood's book (which also shows that it was used until the early 20th century, the Balkan Wars and WW1). I also found a nicer yataghan with niello decorated hilt and scabbard from a Bulgarian book on weapons, currently kept in Sofia or Varna (the picture captions contradict themselves).
Perhaps the blade was indeed made for a child, but not only is it shorter than usual, but also straight with a slight downward turn, so it was not meant to ever be a sabre by whoever made it. The animals depicted on the hilt are a horse and what I interpret as a lion (it sort of looks like a rat, but lion seems more plausible). I could only find one somewhat similar hilt in the Askeri Museum book about yataghans: the shape is similar and there is a border on the outer line just like the item in question and the other niello decorated yataghan.
We are in agreement about the blade - Persian and made for export. As far as the hilt, I am leaning toward Ioannina or somewhere else in Epirus. But I would love to read as many opinions as possible.
Thank you,
Teodor

[TVV]

My friend cleaned the blade up and revealed the attached inscription at the ricasso. I feel this warrants resurrecting the thread. Is the inscription legible, and can you please help translate?

Thank you,
Teodor

[Dom]

Originally Posted by TVV

can you please help translate?

Hi Teodor
nice initiative to have cleaned the blade ,
because on ricasso we might read the name of the blacksmith
ALLAH
MOHAMED
AMAL ZARIF (?) either MADE BY ZARIF (reading under reserve)
ALI HASSAN
several comments
- part of the mentions are religious, used in the sense of talismanic; Allah, Mohamed
and might be Ali, Hassan, the serial seems logic;
God, then his Prophet, the Prophet's son, the Prophet's grandson, those last two very revered by the Shiite
- the owner for this yatagan was Muslim, absolutly, but may be Shiite obedience
- the blacksmith is might be from Armenian community, if what we read as name is correct,
that's it for today
all the best

à +

Dom