Kindjal???

Oliver Pinchot · 4th November 2014, 07:22 PM

The mounts are Ottoman provincial work, c. 1920. The most obvious indicator is the tugra on the locket. That this and the other example pictured are fitted with older blades is not in question; huge numbers of Circassian and other Caucasian groups emigrated to the Ottoman Empire en masse in and after 1865, so these blades were readily available.

Rather, the question is whether they were intended for tourist consumption. I would argue that they are, based upon the quality of workmanship, or lack thereof. Daggers of this form were still very much in use in the 1920s, and there are sufficient examples on the market, mounted in iron, brass, or silver, which show a broad range of decorative techniques typical of Ottoman smiths. These, however, are not among them.

4th November 2014, 07:22 PM	#7
Oliver Pinchot Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 468	The mounts are Ottoman provincial work, c. 1920. The most obvious indicator is the tugra on the locket. That this and the other example pictured are fitted with older blades is not in question; huge numbers of Circassian and other Caucasian groups emigrated to the Ottoman Empire en masse in and after 1865, so these blades were readily available. Rather, the question is whether they were intended for tourist consumption. I would argue that they are, based upon the quality of workmanship, or lack thereof. Daggers of this form were still very much in use in the 1920s, and there are sufficient examples on the market, mounted in iron, brass, or silver, which show a broad range of decorative techniques typical of Ottoman smiths. These, however, are not among them.