Hunting knives of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu on sale at Bucharest auction

A small collection of hunting knives that used to belong to dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu will go on sale next week at an Artmark auction.

They are on sale as part of the Swords and Carpets auction, scheduled to take place online on November 17. It includes some 200 collectors’ items.

Hunting was a passion of the former communist head of state, and, in time, he amassed a collection of weapons and trophies. The collection on sale next week includes four knives (pictured below) with handles made out of deer antlers. It goes on sale at a starting price of EUR 250.

Among the other items auctioned is a katana samurai sword, dating back to the Tenmon Era (1536). The sword, designed by master Bishu Osafune Kiyomitsu, comes from a Dutch collection of Asian weapons. It has a starting price of EUR 4,000.

A variety of carpets will also be presented at the auction, among them an Afghan carpet made in the 1950s, featuring war-inspired motifs.

The items on sale can be seen at the Cesianu-Racoviță Palace until the day of the auction.

(Photos courtesy of Artmark)