#khanjali

Herbert yet again, since he's likely going to be responsible for taking 99,99% of my personal drawing time in 2026. It's silly how happy he makes me

caucasian antique silver khanjal bearing an inscription and the date 1319 AH / 1901 AD.

The khanjali is a dagger from the Caucasus region, on the border between Europe and Asia (making the tags on this post somewhat confusing for me). Early versions of the weapon, made of bronze, date back as far as the 3rd century BCE. The shape is very simple, similar to the Scottish dirk or Roman gladius, and so it was used similarly; as a thrusting weapon in close-quarters combat. It serves as a symbol of the region’s culture and heritage, and also appears in a somewhat unexpected place in popular culture. It is one of the blades mentioned in Frank Herbert’s Dune, though the name he used was “kindjal.”