One of the things I like about antique arms is that each piece I acquire can be the start of an adventure through the less trodden alleys of history.

Last year I acquired such a piece. It's an otherwise relatively standard type of sword of the hill people of central Vietnam, the so-called Montagnards. What piqued my interest was a marking on the long brass sleeve at the hilt, reading:

"Souvenir du general Russe

Prince Constantin Wiasemsky.

Aout - 1892."

I like pieces with a story, and this definitely sounded like a story to me. 

The Wiasemsky dha.

Prince Constantin Wiasemsky

An explorer so obscure he may have always escaped my attention if it wasn't for this sword. Some preliminary searches through old documents came up with an article called "Wiasemsky's Fad" in the San Francisco Call, Volume 76, Number 10, 10 June 1894, written by Baroness Althea Salvador which describes a lecture he presented in Paris.

That was more of a story than I hoped for! I teamed up with author David Leffman who managed to uncover some more interesting information about Prince Constantin Wiasemsky, resulting in this Glossary article that gives the prince some of the internet presence he deserves.

The sword is listed here.