Antique Caucasian Georgian Shamshir Khmali sword

 A scarce caucasian shamshir sword  from Georgia known as a ‘Khmali’. Of traditional Persian shamshir style form with a long deeply curved blade, cruciform crossguard, and a hilt/grip with a rounded pommel. The steel blade is of good weight, thick  and heavy, to one side at the forte is a small panel containing arabic calligraphy damascened in gold. The other side has a roughand very lightly engraved empty cartouche. The steel mounts decorated with brass floral and beaded inlay, the reverse (inner) side has brass inlay but in a much simpler form as this would not have been seen when the sword was worn. The top of the leather covered scabbard has an unusual insert with a split back mounted with gilt-silver beaded edging. There is also a small gilt-silver square hanging loop at the reverse of the scabbard top which may have been for an additional strap, or for a decorative applique. The hilt is decorated with the silver-gilt beaded trim en-suite, the grips of black horn rivetted with iron. The scabbard has an iron chape to protect the blade tip.    caucasian shashka shaska middle east