This is a masterfully crafted, lightly embellished example of a Caucasian style qama dagger, also commonly referred to as "Cossack" daggers, due to the famous horsemen regularly carrying them. This example, unlike many others, has the look of a weapon which was intended to actually be used, remaining lightly embellished and placing the emphasis on function over form. It measures 19 1/4 inches overall and a 14 1/4 inch spear point blade with the typical offset single fullers on each side. There is a faint maker's mark on the outside of the blade that appears to be in Arabic. The hilt is fitted with nicely shaped dark brown horn grip scales with engraved and silver plated pin escutcheons on the outer panel. The included scabbard is leather wrapped with engraved and silver plated furniture featuring floral motifs, matching the hilt escutcheons. The backside of the scabbard has an added leather sheath (lighter brown) holding a smaller knife with a dark horn and bone grip. Provenance: The Dr. Gerald Klaz Collection

Very fine, the blade showing mostly bright with a few scattered patches of darker insignificant surface pitting, some evidence of light cleaning, attractive aged patina on the silver, most of which remains, and some hairline age cracks in the horn grip panels.