Piha Kaetta off the bucket list

[mariusgmioc]

Yes, very hard to find in this condition! Good catch!

[fernando]

With scabbard and all


.

[drac2k]

Thank you all for the kind compliments!

[Sajen]

Not my area of collecting but this one is a very fine example, congrats!

[Miguel]

Beautiful knife, I have not seen one with a blade in such good condition. Well done.
Miguel

[Miguel]

Beautiful knife, I have not seen one with a blade in such good condition. Well done.
Miguel

[mariusgmioc]

Aren't some of the Piha-Kaettas supposed to have blackened blade?

[Miguel]

I think that the blades were made from inferior steel and are prone to rusting.
Miguel

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

The Piha Kheata is a very interesting weapon.

In searching for a fine description I selected for what I consider as an excellent all round observation on this Sri Lankan Icon.

Note that this was produced in the Royal Workshops probably along side the Kastane and employing artisans of the highest calibre.

Quote" The most unusual feature of the piece is the style and material of its pommel which is cast from a single piece of brass, in the form of a Sinhalese mythical bird called the sérapéṅdiya. It's tail is connected to a brass, heavily silver-plated "sleeve" from which the blade emerges, as if it sprouted from the bird's tail. The sleeve is decorated with more liya-vęla, some flowers, and a number of intricate curls upon curls, again typical for Sinhalese work, called liya-pata. This elaborately worked sleeve is almost always present on Kandyan knives, but with many knives the handle doesn't represent the bird, at least not anymore.

Such sérapéṅdiya hilted knives are very rare. One, possibly the oldest, is published in Hales (2013) and is thought to date from as early as the 15th century. Hales suspects that the earliest forms all had the sérapéṅdiya head, and the hilt lost the bird shape in favor of ever more elaborate abstract forms later. Another, probably 18th century example is published in Deraniyagala (1942), which seems to have a horn or wooden hilt. According to De Silva & S. Wickramasinghe there are only five more in verious Sri Lankese museums."Unquote.

See below a weapon and accompanying pen for writing on leaves..

Ibrahiim,
Just wanted to thank you for adding this historical material and overview on these interesting knives. There is a relatively little material readily available on them, and it is much appreciated to have this research added here with this very nice example. For those of us interested in learning more on these weapons, it is great to have such a nice example paired with this data.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams Jim and thank you for that...I recall one distant thread unrelated to this which I noted the detail concerning the Royal Workshops and its caste system of artisans making such beautiful iconic items such as the Piha Kaetta and the celebrated Kastane. In fact such was the involvement in caste structure that I thought perhaps Caste was a shortened derivative of Castane ...and I am still not convinced. Readers may be intrigued by the Royal Workshop situation and read at post 13 the details on ~

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ORKSHOPS+LANKA

Such is the workmanship on Piha Kaetta that they must have come from such an expert line up of craftsmen...and it is noted that a very strong contingent came from South India and that even in the 18thC much liaison and inclusion of specialists was drawn from there. It is clear that this weapon is very much a home grown item and daggers from the 15th C. are known. Some achieve almost sword like dimensions.

I note from the Victoria and Albert Museum on

[B] http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O4...-tool-unknown/ ~ Quote"

The pihiya or piha kaetta was a hand knife of often delicate workmanship from Southern India and Sri Lanka. It was commonly carried in an ornate scabbard as a personal accessory and sometimes also included a stylus for writing on palm leaf. The degree of decoration often signified the rank or status of the individual and ornate knives were presented to individuals as tokens of esteem."Unquote.

Of interest I note that the peculiar turned up snout like projection on the end of the scabbard is in fact a parrot head.This ties in with the original bird shaped hilt.

Down the ages it is fascinating how the original birdlike hilt transformed into an almost impossible to define amorphous dimension perhaps fitting better into the hand as a weapon. Whilst this would be very effective in a downward strike it has not yet been confirmed if this was a badge of office like the Kastane or a fighting knife?...Certainly the type of blade reinforcement sometimes noted in other regions as a Tunko would point to a practical asset on this as a fighting blade, however, also often carried was a kind of pen or stylus illustrated earlier and noted above, adorned in silver, looking like a spike but used by scribes? to write religious verse on leaves...Was this weapon therefor a type of tool carried by Buddhist monks as well as a mark of status for other wearers of this Icon?

[Sajen]

Hello all,

I know next to nothing about Phia Kaettas exempt I like this very nice knives very much. But let me ask a question, I've read now in this thread several times the word "weapon" in relation to them. To my eye this knives don't look like real weapons, I think that they from the shape look more like some sort of working knife, cutting betel for example. Is there in any way a clear agreement for what they get used? Excuse my maybe stupid question!
PS: the knife which started the thread is very very nice!

Regards,
Detlef

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello all,

I know next to nothing about Phia Kaettas exempt I like this very nice knives very much. But let me ask a question, I've read now in this thread several times the word "weapon" in relation to them. To my eye this knives don't look like real weapons, I think that they from the shape look more like some sort of working knife, cutting betel for example. Is there in any way a clear agreement for what they get used? Excuse my maybe stupid question!
PS: the knife which started the thread is very very nice!

Regards,
Detlef

Hi,
You are right, they are not weapons.
But it's also true that you can stab someone with a kitchen knife...unfortunately...
Also half of the rifles on this forum were used for hunting.
Please note that in an old post I mentionned that most probably near half of the weapons on this forum were never used to fight...
Best,
Kubur

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Although we already know that this knife was a presentation as well as social status Icon and probably not intended in this regard as a battlefield weapon...the fact is that we have no evidence of it being used in a fight but as already stated that doesn't make it a feather duster either!

An interesting side issue to the pihā-kaetta is the peculiar spike or stylus which is supposed to be for writing on palm leaves, however, "it is said that" the spike as a weapon is extremely dangerous and seen sheathed in the same scabbard as the pihā-kaetta ..

I gleaned from Sri Lankan friends here that the spike is called keynithuh and is very dangerous since it was often poisoned. It is also suggested that special forces carry this concealed weapon ...

I have also seen huge pihā-kaetta which may be viewed on video simply by typing in Piha Kaetta to web search and selecting the correct video.

In my view therefor it may well have been an Icon worn with honour as a badge of office etc and also used in the palm leaf writing situation but if required it may also have been used as a knife...for cutting string, killing chickens or as a weapon in a fight...

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Hi,
You are right, they are not weapons.
But it's also true that you can stab someone with a kitchen knife...unfortunately...
Also half of the rifles on this forum were used for hunting.
Please note that in an old post I mentionned that most probably near half of the weapons on this forum were never used to fight...
Best,
Kubur

Thank you Kubur,

but I really doubt that they would make a "good" fighting knife. What I have observed is that the ones without ricasso at the edge seems to be heavy used in the middle and the ones with are worn in the first third of the edge like it get something cut at the same place and same manner when you understand what I mean. I think Betel would be a good guess. This was also part in my previous request, is there known any solid based knowledge for what they get used regularly? And I have another statement about we should think about, there are so many fancy ones that I think it was worn by celebration and show the status also!?

Best regards,
Detlef

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Hi,
You are right, they are not weapons.
But it's also true that you can stab someone with a kitchen knife...unfortunately...
Also half of the rifles on this forum were used for hunting.
Please note that in an old post I mentionned that most probably near half of the weapons on this forum were never used to fight...
Best,
Kubur