Jaroslawski, Janusz Swords of the Tsarist Russia. 2 Bände

The renowned Polish author and edged weapons expert devotes himself here to the edged weapons of the Russian Tsarist Empire and presents the most beautiful and interesting collector's weapons of the 18th-20th centuries, from the officer's sword to the Cossack sabre. The important collection of Alexander Gvozdevich (Yekaterinburg/Russia) in particular was analysed for this two-volume work.

The reader will find several high-quality colour illustrations for each item covered, which, in addition to the overall view of the weapon and scabbard, also show the various details relevant to edged weaponry: Marks, blade engravings, colour hardening, hilts, grips and whatever else is characteristic of the respective weapon model. Portraits of selected bearers - old colour paintings or historical b/w photos, depending on the era - illustrate the original way of carrying the weapon and at the same time convey the appropriate period colouring. From the simplest standard model to the showpiece, every conceivable style is represented. The English captions are clearly summarised in a separate appendix. Despite their relative brevity, they are precise in their statements and contain all information relevant to collectors: Exact model designation including year of introduction, dimensions (broken down by overall length, blade length, blade width), material and workmanship, special features of the respective piece, etc. The fact that a Russian text appendix is also included provides those readers who have at least a basic knowledge of the Russian language or Cyrillic script with the original Russian military designations of the respective pieces and variants as additional information. In its wealth of detail and the precise, variant-emphasising illustrations, this double volume may well be regarded as the standard work on the edged weapons of Imperial Russia. A work that offers both historians and collectors a wealth of valuable information.