AUCTIONS IMPERIAL DECEMBER 2020
Lot 194:
Description
A fine example of a rare type, Montenegrin work with inscribed provenance. The elephant grips with characteristic large ears and horn inlays, the silver tangband and ferrule engraved and nielloed. The broad, straight, single-edged, captured Ottoman blade inlaid for much of its length with silver stars. The silver scabbard elaborately profiled, chiseled, with large, spherical finial set with a precious stone, and engraved and nielloed overall in Serbian floral and vine motifs and inscribed in the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, *M*K*L* and 1796, and DURO IVANOV PEROVICH, together with an interesting graffito. Dated 1796 c.e. Blade corroded, scabbard tip possibly replaced, wear to scabbard. In the year 1796, 3,000 Montenegrins faced 18,000 Ottomans at the village of Martinici, led by Prince-Bishop Petar I Petrovic-Niegos and Governor Jovan Radonjicte. Though greatly outnumbered, after nine days of guerilla fighting, the Montenegrins beat back the Ottoman forces. A further victory at Krusi shortly thereafter led to the unification of Piperi and Bjelopavlici and the ousting of the Ottomans in those areas. Overall length 71cm. Condition IV
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