Large, High-quality Flissa Dagger, Kabylie, 19th Century

This dagger is a Kabyle Flissa, quite large and, above all, of superior quality. It is the work of a skilled and meticulous craftsman. It is very different from the Flissas made later by the Beni Yeni (= Ait Yeni), and by the "Kabyles" of the Algiers souks (all artisans or merchants, but not all Kabyles). This is clearly a weapon in the purest tradition of the mountain tribe called  Iflissen . Its date of manufacture is undoubtedly the 19th century.
The criteria for quality are the fineness of the fitting on the brass handle, and especially the vegetal decoration on the handle and the back of the blade, which is not simply a sheet of brass with a few incised motifs, but a much more complex "repoussé" decoration on a very finely pecked background. The blade is a truly thick and powerful blade, not a cheap imitation. Such fine workmanship is not the norm, and many of these daggers are of a much more rustic nature.
The presence of raised eyes on the animal's head is a sure sign of Iflissen craftsmanship, as the Beni Yeni, for the sake of simplicity and ease, did not include them on their grips.
BLADE = strong, single-edged blade with a slight double curve, typical of the Iflissen, likely due to Ottoman yataghan influence. The part near the grip still bears the characteristic transverse file marks. Inlaid and chased brass decoration. The rest of the blade is decorated with geometric brass motifs. The back of the blade is decorated, in the first third, with the brass motif found on the back of the handle, along with the afore mentioned chasing. Blade length = 36.2 cm, width at the ricasso = 3 cm, thickness at the ricasso = 9.2 mm.
HILT : It is covered with a sheet of finely repoussé and chased brass. It features the well-known "dog's head" motif, which is thought to be a survival of the eagle hilts of Roman swords. The eyes are cone-shaped in relief, as is the end of the pommel, which is also a small cone.
SCABBARD : It consists of two walnut plates joined by six brass and copper bands decorated with geometric patterns. The belt loop is cut into the scabbard.
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