Yorkshire auction house Elstob & Elstob sells 19th-century Russian hunting dagger expected to fetch £200 for £9,000

A 19th-century Russian hunting dagger was estimated to make £200-£400 sold for staggering £9,000 following keen bidding at auction house Elstob & Elstob in Ripon..

The 18-inch weapon from the Tsarist period has an etched and part-gilded blade decorated with floral motifs and two scenes of deer in woodland.

It is believed to have been manufactured in the Zlatoust armaments factory in the Ural Mountains from 1815 onwards.

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Elston & Elstob's specialist in militaria David Douglas said: “Such items rarely appear on the British market. When offered in Russian salerooms or by Russian antiques dealers, the price tag is invariably high. The demand for pre-1917 Imperial items has see an increase recently.

David Douglas with the daggerDavid Douglas with the dagger
David Douglas with the dagger

“When I first examined the dagger in question, I saw it as a German hunting knife with unusual inlaid gold decoration. Once catalogued, information began to emerge from Russian sources that it was, in fact, Imperial Russian. Such items are rarely seen so there isn't much reference material to go to for guidance.

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“The blade was significant, made of tempered steel and with a very fine gold inlay, suggesting quite a noble piece. Unfortunately, there is no indication of provenance but it is almost certainly aristocratic or of high military rank. The dagger follows the form of a hunting dagger but Caucasians would have carried such sidearms in addition to a sword in both ceremonial and active service contexts.

“As with most items of such scarcity, the auction world - thanks to internet exposure - brought in the bidding and it settled at £9,000 on the hammer.”

The dagger sold to a collector from outside the UK whose identity has not been disclosed.

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