Tsar's sword comes to auction
07 October 2024 A Caucasian presentation shashka sword that once belonged to Nicholas II of Russia will be offered for sale at Apollo Art Auctions on October 12-13.
Shashka sword that belonged to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, estimated at £1.5m-£2.4m at Apollo Auctions on October 12-13.
Presented to the tsar when he was the heir to the Russian throne during the imperial family’s visit to the Caucasus in 1888, it is adorned with ivory, gold, wood, and enamel, and inscribed to the blade with calligraphic Arabic couplets blessing the owner with good fortune, long life, and the attainment of glory.
Previously owned by a Polish aristocratic family and then by Russian sword specialist Eugene Mollo in Switzerland, it comes from a European collector.
A close-up view of the sword.
The auction house says: "On the left side of the blade near the hilt is an Arabic inscription in gold, stating '(M)ay the dominance of the owner of this sword grow, and his life, and his greatness, and may Allah bless his family, and he will achieve his goal'. In the same position on the right side of the blade, another golden Arabic inscription asks 'In glory and in conquest, may Allah fulfil his desires by the grace of Allah'. A golden inlay on a bone insert just below the scabbard throat depicts a monogram of the letters N and A for Nicholas Alexandrovich."
The estimate in the Fine Ancient Art & Antiquities sale is £1.5m-£2.4m.
Take a look at the shashka sword on thesaleroom.com
