Dagger Ohota
A large blade of cast damask steel, straight, double-edged, smoothly tapering to the point, with two narrow parallel lobes. Ephesus is formed of a cast cross and a handle and is a complex sculptural composition. The hilt details are made of silver and gold using the investment casting technique. The handle is in the form of a tree trunk, against which the figure of a hunter, dressed in stylized clothes of the High Renaissance, stands out. The hunter blows the horn, announcing the hunted beast. The crosshairs are both the base of the tree and part of the clearing in which the climax of the hunt is played out. The crosshair slightly extends over the blade, forming an extension, in which the contour of the «shell» traditional for hunting daggers is guessed. Small blade of cast damask steel, straight, single-edged, smoothly tapering to the point, wedge-shaped section. The handle of the dagger is made in the same compositional style with the hilt of a large dagger, thematically complementing it, and here we also see a hunter triumphantly blowing a horn. The hunter’s fikura, deployed to the left, complements the large dagger, becoming a connecting link. The scabbard is wooden, covered with black leather. The device consists of a tip, a narrow clip and a mouth with two hooks for suspension. The estuary and cage, continuing the scene of the hunt and forest, are decorated with images of trees and leaves. The tip depicts the figure of a hunter with a dog at his feet. The design and shape of the «Hunt» dagger very organically combine the qualities of a traditional hunting dagger with elements of ceremonial pretentious weapons, thus creating a unique author’s work. It should be noted the precise, plastic casting, as well as carving and engraving on metal and wood. With the help of these techniques, it was possible to convey the unique color of the hound hunting, so popular in the past and almost forgotten in our crazy machine age.
Material: Cast damask, silver, gold, wood (maple), leather.
Techniques of execution: Forging, polishing, investment casting, soldering, mounting, engraving, chasing.
Overall size: 620 mm
Length without scabbard: Large: 565 mm; small: 427 mm
Handle length: Large: 156 mm; small: 146 mm
Blade length: Large: 412 mm; small: 298 mm
Blade width: Large: 36 mm; small: 28 mm
Blade thickness: Large-8-6 mm; small-6 mm
Scabbard length: 468 mm