A CAUCASIAN KHANJALI DAGGER (KINDJAL) WITH SILVER AND NIELLO MOUNTS
Possibly Circassia or Georgia, Caucasus Provinces, second half 19th century

With a typical broad double-edged steel blade and a central recessed fuller with acid-etched wavy pattern, the forte with an acid-etched vegetal scrolling design, the bone and horn hilt fitted with silver and niello mounts stamped '84', the brown leather-lined scabbard also featuring silver and niello mounts, each stamped '84' zolotnik silver, with a profile head hallmark and the stamp 'B', the niello decoration on the scabbard consisting of scrolling rosette sprays, on the reverse near the hilt a stylised maker's signature in niello reading Amal-e Muhammad or Mahdi (?).

52.5cm long including the scabbard

Khanjali (Georgian: ხანჯალი), also known as kindjal, is a double-edged dagger typical of the Caucasus. The shape of the weapon is reminiscent of ancient Roman gladius, the Scottish dirk and the ancient Greek xiphos. Mostly used as a secondary weapon, this dagger became very prominent in the Caucasus in the 18th century and reached an unprecedented degree of popularity under the Ottoman and Russian dominantion of the Eastern provinces.