Early Yataghan for Comments and Discussion

[TVV]

Going back to the start, I was able to find a very similar yataghan to mine that Rick Stroud had on his site (it is no longer for sale).

[gp]

for those less familiar with the matter, hereby some additional info

sika:

The sika is a short sword or large knife used by the ancient Thracians, Dacians and Illyrians, also used in Ancient Rome. Preserved archaeological finds in today's Albania, Romania, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Serbia indicate that the weapon was about 40-45 cm long. The Sika is depicted on Trajan's Column in the scene of Decebalus' suicide. see first picture and the ones above

and the likeness with one of the first and also best yataghans
Exquisite workmanship and lavish use of precious materials distinguish this sword as a princely weapon and exemplifies the opulence and refinement of Ottoman luxury arts. Almost identical to a yatagan (now in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul) made in 1526–27 by the court jeweler Ahmed Tekel, for the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66), this sword was undoubtedly made in the same imperial workshop. The gold incrustation on the blade depicts a combat between a dragon and a phoenix against a background of foliate scrolls. These figures, like the gold-inlaid cloud bands and foliate scrolls on the ivory grips, are Chinese in inspiration, and were probably introduced into Ottoman art through contacts with Persia.

This sword is one of the earliest known yatagans, distinctly Turkish weapons characterized by a double-curved blade and a hilt without a guard. Yatagans were commonplace in Turkey and the Balkans in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and served as sidearms for the elite troops known as janissaries.
See second picture .

And in the third picture some yataghans from Montenegro 18th century

so all together a 1000 yeas between them

[serdar]

My example, turkish ribon, taken in montenegro battle in year 1712, i agree a older examples of yatagan’s.
Regarding turkish ribbon, i have few sabers dated 17 century made from it.

[TVV]

Originally Posted by serdar

My example, turkish ribon, taken in montenegro battle in year 1712, i agree a older examples of yatagan’s.
Regarding turkish ribbon, i have few sabers dated 17 century made from it.

Thank you for sharing this example with provenance, which gives a good idea about its dating. For future reference, would you be able to provide its length?

[serdar]

Originally Posted by TVV

Thank you for sharing this example with provenance, which gives a good idea about its dating. For future reference, would you be able to provide its length?

Hy, offcourse, it is as i remember 72 cm in lenght, width i realy dont remember.
It is a realy nice piece.

There are allso “yatagan” swords with bird like handle and similar style handles with crossguards that have the same blade profile and age like these older yatagans, 17 century some even end of 16 century, but are very rare, and very few people know about them, which is a good thing, when one comes to auction, people place it for something strange, i purchased one from begining of 17 century, amazing example for very very small amount, they declared it like something from balkan )))

There are allso ones with bent crossguards toward the blade like ottoman pala or ottoman version of gadara, some call them a naval yatagans but they are not that, they are just later from end of 17 but more begining of 18 century.

[serdar]

@gp
“And in the third picture some yataghans from Montenegro 18th century”


Regarding those”Montenegro” yatagans, one in the midle is a albanian made 20 century scam yatagan, it is not real neither is a battle yatagan.
Albanians made even better examples in 20 century for scammings collectors, that one is 100% fake.

Two weeks ago a guy ofered to me two of those for sale, they were sold to famous general in balkan, and now he is trying to sell them, i told him they are fake, he was furious ������, he must payed a lot.

Other two on the sides are boka kotorska workshop.
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