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Pitt Rivers Museum

1884.68.77.1

Knife [.1] with handle of ivory carved in the shape of a bird. The sheath [.2] is made of very thin leather spirally wound and dyed red. [El.B 19/3/2007]


1884.68.77.1

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Knife [.1] with handle of ivory carved in the shape of a bird. The sheath [.2] is made of very thin leather spirally wound and dyed red. [El.B 19/3/2007]
Long description
Knife [.1] with handle of ivory carved in the shape of a bird. The sheath [.2] is made of very thin leather spirally wound and dyed red. The bird has a long neck and has its head between its feet. The eyes are small metal dots, and there are also two metal dots on the wings. Part of the handle is bound with copper alloy. The tip of the sheath is missing. [El.B 19/3/2007]
Geographical reference
Unknown
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1874
Date collected
By 1874
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884
Materials and processes
Material Animal Ivory Tooth, Material Steel Metal, Material Copper Alloy Metal, Material Animal Leather Skin, Material Pigment, Process Carved, Process Forged (Metal), Process Dyed
Dimensions
Length: max 230 mm, Length: max 115 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.68.77.1 Accession number: 1884.68.77.2 PR Cat other PR nos: 2099
Research and responses

In Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Pitt Rivers ms collections there is a handwritten list [P141] headed 'A catalogue of M.General [sic - Major General] Pitt Rivers' Anthropological Collection Objects illustrating Animal Form conventionalised in Ornamentation from different countries' which seems to be a list of all items which were associated with the display entitled 'Illustrations of Human and Animal form Cases 92 - 93' in Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums. A photocopy of this list is held by Alison Petch [AP 23/03/2005]

Search terms: Figure, Weapon, Tool, Bird Figure, Knife, Sheath