1911.85.18.1

Collection type

Object

Description

Set comprising a silver-mounted waist knife [.1] in a leather sheath [.2] and an iron writing-style [.3]. [DCF Court Team 11/12/2002]

Long description

Set comprising a silver-mounted waist knife in a leather sheath and an iron writing-style. The silver knife has a slightly contoured pointed blade. The silver mounted handle is elaborately decorated with relief scrolling floral patterns on both sides which taper out into a flat diamond-shaped top. The top is decorated with a large gold diamond design and a rosette, both in relief. The iron writing style consists of a long narrow rod which tapers down from a ribbed circular ball towards the point of the stile. From the ball, the style tapers upwards to a round finial. The style is simply decorated with a saw tooth incised design. Both the knife and the style are held together in a leather sheath. The sheath has two 'pockets' in it, one for the knife and one for the style. Tamsin Wilson, 1997 -

Geographical reference

India

Asia > Southern Asia > India

Malabar Kerala

Person

Field collector Frederick Fawcett

PRM source Frederick Fawcett

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1911

Date collected

By 1911

Acquisition information

Loaned: 1911

Materials and processes

Material Iron Metal, Material Silver Metal, Material Animal Leather Skin, Process Incised

Dimensions

Length 281 mm, Width 33 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1911.85.18.1 Accession number: 1911.85.18.2 Accession number: 1911.85.18.3 Other numbers: 18

Associated publications

Reproduced in colour on page 204 (catalogue no. 66) of Cultures of the Indian Ocean (Lisbon: Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, 1998). [JC 8 9 1999]

Search terms: Weapon, Writing, Clothing, Tool, Ritual and Ceremonial, Knife, Writing Accessory, Pen, Sheath, Ceremonial Object