19thc Russian Imperial Niello Silver Kindjal Dagger

19th Century Russian Imperial Niello silver Kindjal Dagger. 5 1/2" blade.11" overall length. Handle & scabbard made of silver. The blade is made of a strong metal ( not silver ). Inside the scabbard you can see the old antique wooden walls, which protect the scabbard against the blade. Hallmarked on the reverse side of the scabbard. *** Niello - black metallic alloy of sulfur with silver, copper, or lead that is used to fill designs that have been engraved on the surface of a metal object. Niello is made by fusing together silver, copper, and lead and then mixing the molten alloy with sulfur. The resulting black-colored sulfides are powdered, and after the engraved metal, usually silver, has been moistened with a flux, some of the powder is spread on it and the metal strongly heated; the niello melts and runs into the engraved channels. The excess niello is then removed by scraping until the filled channels are clearly visible, & finally the surface is polished. The contrast of the black niello against the bright silver surface produces an attractive decorative effect