Dagger: O.1 & A-1854

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

• Dagger
• Scabbard
• Sri Lankan weapons
• piha khaetta

Categories

• Weapons

Description

The blade is single edged, with an almost straight edge, the back curving forwards towards the point. The back is flat and thick, and there is a broad, deep fuller at the back. The whole blade from the fuller backwards is covered in heavy silver foil chased with floral scrolls and geometrical ornament of a pearled ground. The hilt is of dark horn, finely carved with sections of foliage, secured by three brass rivets with three from an original four decorative silver washers. At the junction with the blade the hilt is covered with a heavy silver ferrule, chiselled into a complex spray of waves at the edge side. The pommel cap is of silver chased with flowers. The tang extends the full width of the hilt, and is covered at front and rear with bands of tooled silver. The scabbard is of wood covered with fluted silver sheet, decorated with bands of silver filigree.

Notes

History note: Uncertain

Legal notes

Given by Miss C. Harwood

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1854-05-05) by Harwood, Miss G.

Dating

1700 CE - 1799 CE

Note

This is a very fine example of the characteristic dagger of Sri Lanka. Both the decoration of the blade and hilt as well as the scabbard are of silver. The hilt is probably made from black coral or dark horn.