Prestige Knife - Tibet -  Late 19th - Early 20th Century

PRESTIGE KNIFE
Tibet
Late 19th - early 20th century
Iron, brass, copper, horn, skin, turquoise and coral
Blade length : 27 ; Total length : 31,5 cm

Knife with a straight blade with a gutter and a single edge. The handle is made of brown horn, copper and silver metal plates with openwork and engraved floral motifs and a turquoise cabochon.
The wooden scabbard is decorated in suite: the first plate is decorated with two cabochons, one of coral and the other of turquoise. The openwork metal decoration has a foliate scroll design, while the middle part has inserts of shagreen. The second plate on the back is decorated with a copper plate engraved with scrolls.
A rare feature of this knife is that it retains its leather pendant to which is attached a round openwork silver-plated medallion centred with a cabochon and a stylised chimeric figure.

Text and photos © FCP CORIDON