‡˜A FINE CAUCASIAN GOLD INLAID IVORY AND SILVER-MOUNTED PRESENTATION SABRE (SHASQA) AND WHIP, KUBACHI, LATE 19TH CENTURY with curved blade double-edged towards the point, formed with a series of fullers along the back edge, encrusted in gold with Arabic couplets on each face, silver gilt and nielloed hilt chased with scrolling foliage against a finely matted ground within beadwork frames, the pommel set with an ivory plaque inlaid with gold (small losses, the inner plaque expertly restored), in its original silver gilt and nielloed scabbard decorated en suite with the hilt, the inner face with elaborate panels of niello scrolling foliage enclosing embossed and chased cartouches within foliate and beadwork frames, two silver rings for suspension, and in very good to fine condition, the whip formed of a tapering sections of ivory finely inlaid with cartouches filled with gold flowers and foliage, with silver grip and upper terminal each of chased nielloed and gilt silver, with a leather tail, both in a modern Asprey & Co lined and fited case the sword: 75.2 cm; 29 5/8 in blade The couplets read: "zada dawlat sahib hadha al-sayf wa 'umrahu / wa qadrahu wa baraka fi 'iyalihi yawm fa-yawm" ("May the fortune and life of the owner of this sword increase / And his stature, and [God] bless his family every day.") and "w'anala maqsad fi'l-'izz bi'l-farah w[a]'l-ghurur / wa ballaghahu ila darajat al-'ula" ("Grant him [his] goal in glory and in joy and pride, And make him attain the ranks of exaltedness.")