Yataghan

    picture-1
    made by Haji Nuh
    1803-1804
    Steel, wood, silver, forging, casting, filigree, inlaying
    72.5 x 58 x 3.5 x 63.5 cm

    The hilt is coated in silver with larger faceted ears. The ears are decorated with filigree and hold two corals on either side. At the joint a filigree decoration and eleven corals. On the extension of the grip a grain ornament, and on the leaf-shaped part of the blade filigree decoration with a coral grain on each side. The blade is steel, single-edged, curved and has a narrow fuller along the blunt edge. Along the entire length of the blade is on one side decorated with ornaments, while on the other it has an inscription in Arabian that reads: 'Made in 1218 by Haji Nuh for the owner Ibrahim-aga. O heart, do not, for the sake of one soul, give offence to everyone. Do not blame the Sultan that he takes pleasure in this world.'

    The scabbard is wooden, its entire length covered with silver, and ends with a fish head. On the mouth of the scabbard a rich filigree decoration, while the remainder is covered in Baroque ornaments.

    Bought from Milan Praunsperger in Zagreb in 1940.

    M. Praunsperger, Oruzje starih Hrvata, Zagreb, 1943, table II/2;

    M. Sercer, Jatagani u PMH, Zagreb, 1975, catalogue number 26;

    M. Sercer, Jatagane..., Graz, 1976, catalogue number 14;

    M. Sercer, Turkische Waffen, Burg Schlaining, 1982, catalogue number 92;

    M. Sercer, Tursko oruzje, Zagreb, 1983, catalogue number 92.

    Milan Praunsperger (Samobor, 5th November 1881 - Zagreb, 21st December 1960), judge, museologist, heraldist; after inheriting the family collection of historical weapons, he continued to collect them, enriching and studying the collection. He sold his huge collection in 1940 to the Banal Government of Banal Croatia for the Croatian National Museum in Zagreb. After E. Laszowsky he was the second Director of the War Museum in Zagreb.

    I wish to thank Mr Milivoj Petkovic, protonotary of the Brethren of the Croatian Dragon, for information concerning M. Praunsperger. On the Praunsperger collection see the article by Marija Sercer, 'Zbirka oruzja Milana pl. Praunspergera u Hrvatskom povijesnom muzeju' published in Muzeologija, No. 32 in 1995.

    The catalogue description is partly taken from Marija Sercer, from the catalogue Jatagani, Zagreb, 1975. The Arabic inscription translated into Croatian by Professor Muhamed Zdralovic.


    HPM/PMH-003080


    home back up forvard