This unusual 'hooked' blade variant of an 'X-hilted' dagger is from the Beja Hadendoa or Beni-Amir peoples of Eritrea and the Sudan who live along the southwestern shores of the Red Sea. The dark brown wooden hilt has fluted carvings and is decorated upon its display face with white metal (possibly low content silver alloy) 'buttons' with straight and twisted wire wrapping of similar composition around the skinny part of the grip with a strap running around the back of the hilt where the wood has also been decorated with lines and elongated depressions. The double edged blade rises to a shallowly raised midline and emerges straight from the hilt before curving and widening just beyond midway to the point to form a hook reminiscent of the kopesh. Similar incised designs are present upon each blade face. Overall length of the dagger with hilt is just under 13 inches (33 cm); the blade alone is just over 8½ inches (22 cm) long. An accompanying brown embossed leather sheath shows black leather braid stitching over the periphery of the hooked portion. Including the sheath the overall length is 13½ inches (34.2 cm). Overall weight is about 10½ ounces (301 grams) with the dagger alone weighing 8.1 ounces (232 grams). Lew dated this example as 1930s - 1940s.