A slightly unique Piha Kaetta

Jim McDougall · 20th September 2007, 03:26 AM

Alan and Derek,
Thank you so much for the detailed and wonderfully explained material on these! It makes complete sense that this knife form has variations that might be rather tailored to different purposes, and the study in terminology is most interesting ( as we have discussed before Alan

.

All best regards,
Jim

A. G. Maisey · 20th September 2007, 04:04 AM

unnecessary.

fernando · 20th September 2007, 10:48 PM

Hi Derek,
I once saw this in a 1989 auction catalogue.
This could be a lot of nonsense, but please take a look to it..

Please pay particular attention to the ( translated ) text on item 892.

888 is dated XVII-XVIII century. Chizeled metal grip.

889 is dated XVII-XVIII century. Rhino horn grip. Silver and brass insets. Rare.

890 is also dated XVII-XVIII century.Rhino horn grip with characteristic braking waves sculpted, a sign of Cingalo-Portuguese art. With unvulgar chizeled silver and brass insets.

891. specimen of unvulgar configuration. The grip pommel is a "goruda", identical to those sculpted in Cingalo-Portuguese firearms. Silver insets and brass sculpture. Very good quality and very rare.

892 Cingalese Pia-Kaetas descend from an Arian Indo-European race weapon of the second milenium BC, that has also being used in Portuguese territory: the famous Lusitanian Falcata. The most distant extremes of the Arian race were precisely Lusitania and Ceylon. It is curious that these two peoples, descent from the same ancestors, would meet again thousands of years afterwards. As life in an isolated island remains unchanged for vast periods of time, the use of these "Falcata like"
knives prevailed in Ceylon until recent centuries. The presented specimen has its ivory grip decorated with the typical braking waves, which can also be found in Cingalo-Portuguese sculptures. These waves can be seen in the hair of an ivory Little Jesus sculpture of the XVI-XVII century, also present in this auction.Silver and brass insets. With original scabbard.Rare.

fernando · 20th September 2007, 10:50 PM

continuing:

899. Cingalo-Portuguese Little Jesus. XVI-XVII century.It has the two main characteistics of eldest Cingalo-Portuguese art. The hair terminating in waves with breaking ends, as seen in Pia-Kaetas, and the nipples in the form of four pointed stars. Great rarity.

fernando · 20th September 2007, 10:52 PM

last one:

894. XVII-XVIII century.Grip sculpted in Rhino horn with silver insets. No brass in this specimen; only silver, rhino and steel. very good quality.

895. XVII-XVIII century. Ivory grip, with unvulgar curvature.Sculpted with the typical Cingalo-Portuguese braking waves. Very good condition and very rare.

896. XVII-XVIII centuryUnusually big.Cingalo-Portuguese braking waves both in the grip and brass decorations, as also found in christian ivory sculptures.. Chizeled silver pommel.

derek · 21st September 2007, 03:31 AM

Excellent pics, Thanks for posting. 893 is an odd one! The comparison between falcatta and more eastern weapons (the kukri for sure) is made often. The earliest celtic peoples of Europe are called indo-european, correct? I guess it's entirely plausible that the forms are related.
-d

Prasanna Weerakkody · 19th September 2011, 05:09 AM

Hi all,

I’m new to the list, but coming from Sri Lanka and for long involved in the study of Sinhala weapons I may be able to add to the discussion. first “Piha” (kandyan dialect) or “Pihiya” (Low country dialect) referrers to a knife in general. “Ketta” includes many forms of incurved blades. The knives generally referred to as “Piha-ketta” consists of a wide range of knives from utility knives to specialized scribes knives with the “ul-katuwa” or “panhinda” included and actual side arms, The ornamentation varies between the ones used by commoners and ones used by nobility. many may have been multipurpose in use. As far as I know the true weapons are the “Kirichchi” types which are narrow straight blades.

From the evidence available it seem that the “piha-ketta” knives originate at least by mid 16th Century possibly earlier. In my opinion the finest worked knives are the older types; the latter works show a steady degradation of finesse in line with most other Sinhala art-forms under the British occupation in 18th and 19th centuries.

On Maisey’s note as you have already corrected it the use of words in Sinhala; the correct term is “gal mita piha” (stone hilted knife) and “Vak piha” (curved knife) and not the other way around.

20th September 2007, 03:26 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,585	Alan and Derek, Thank you so much for the detailed and wonderfully explained material on these! It makes complete sense that this knife form has variations that might be rather tailored to different purposes, and the study in terminology is most interesting ( as we have discussed before Alan. All best regards, Jim

20th September 2007, 10:48 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Hi Derek, I once saw this in a 1989 auction catalogue. This could be a lot of nonsense, but please take a look to it.. Please pay particular attention to the ( translated ) text on item 892. 888 is dated XVII-XVIII century. Chizeled metal grip. 889 is dated XVII-XVIII century. Rhino horn grip. Silver and brass insets. Rare. 890 is also dated XVII-XVIII century.Rhino horn grip with characteristic braking waves sculpted, a sign of Cingalo-Portuguese art. With unvulgar chizeled silver and brass insets. 891. specimen of unvulgar configuration. The grip pommel is a "goruda", identical to those sculpted in Cingalo-Portuguese firearms. Silver insets and brass sculpture. Very good quality and very rare. 892 Cingalese Pia-Kaetas descend from an Arian Indo-European race weapon of the second milenium BC, that has also being used in Portuguese territory: the famous Lusitanian Falcata. The most distant extremes of the Arian race were precisely Lusitania and Ceylon. It is curious that these two peoples, descent from the same ancestors, would meet again thousands of years afterwards. As life in an isolated island remains unchanged for vast periods of time, the use of these "Falcata like" knives prevailed in Ceylon until recent centuries. The presented specimen has its ivory grip decorated with the typical braking waves, which can also be found in Cingalo-Portuguese sculptures. These waves can be seen in the hair of an ivory Little Jesus sculpture of the XVI-XVII century, also present in this auction.Silver and brass insets. With original scabbard.Rare. Attached Images

20th September 2007, 10:50 PM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	continuing: 899. Cingalo-Portuguese Little Jesus. XVI-XVII century.It has the two main characteistics of eldest Cingalo-Portuguese art. The hair terminating in waves with breaking ends, as seen in Pia-Kaetas, and the nipples in the form of four pointed stars. Great rarity. Attached Images

20th September 2007, 10:52 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	last one: 894. XVII-XVIII century.Grip sculpted in Rhino horn with silver insets. No brass in this specimen; only silver, rhino and steel. very good quality. 895. XVII-XVIII century. Ivory grip, with unvulgar curvature.Sculpted with the typical Cingalo-Portuguese braking waves. Very good condition and very rare. 896. XVII-XVIII centuryUnusually big.Cingalo-Portuguese braking waves both in the grip and brass decorations, as also found in christian ivory sculptures.. Chizeled silver pommel. Attached Images

20th September 2007, 04:04 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,056	unnecessary.

21st September 2007, 03:31 AM	#6
derek Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 215	Excellent pics, Thanks for posting. 893 is an odd one! The comparison between falcatta and more eastern weapons (the kukri for sure) is made often. The earliest celtic peoples of Europe are called indo-european, correct? I guess it's entirely plausible that the forms are related. -d

19th September 2011, 05:09 AM	#7
Prasanna Weerakkody Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Sri Lanka Posts: 52	Hi all, I’m new to the list, but coming from Sri Lanka and for long involved in the study of Sinhala weapons I may be able to add to the discussion. first “Piha” (kandyan dialect) or “Pihiya” (Low country dialect) referrers to a knife in general. “Ketta” includes many forms of incurved blades. The knives generally referred to as “Piha-ketta” consists of a wide range of knives from utility knives to specialized scribes knives with the “ul-katuwa” or “panhinda” included and actual side arms, The ornamentation varies between the ones used by commoners and ones used by nobility. many may have been multipurpose in use. As far as I know the true weapons are the “Kirichchi” types which are narrow straight blades. From the evidence available it seem that the “piha-ketta” knives originate at least by mid 16th Century possibly earlier. In my opinion the finest worked knives are the older types; the latter works show a steady degradation of finesse in line with most other Sinhala art-forms under the British occupation in 18th and 19th centuries. On Maisey’s note as you have already corrected it the use of words in Sinhala; the correct term is “gal mita piha” (stone hilted knife) and “Vak piha” (curved knife) and not the other way around.