Sold for $482,000 inclusive of Buyer's Premium

[David]

Here is a helpful link for this discussion as this is not the first time we have talked about such blades here. Also follow the link i posted on this page and there is a lot of good info and photos: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=Tlingit

[Tim Simmons]

It so happens that the area under disscusion is rich in iron ore. Could be another one of those arguements like the use of brass in Africa. Poor modern historical documentation, limited archeaology coupled with a high minded and dissmisive period. These late 19th and early 20th century thoughts are increasingly being questioned. Todays research it undertaken with less baggage. I am not saying anything but it is possible .

[asomotif]

but in a museum where everyone can see it?

I wonder if museums would be willing to spend such an amount on one knife ?

Nice knife btw

[David]

Originally Posted by asomotif

I wonder if museums would be willing to spend such an amount on one knife ?

Nice knife btw

I think that would depend on which museum.
Don't get me wrong. I am not, in general, against personal ownership of cultural items. But this is not an everyman's dagger, or even a wealthy man's dagger. Daggers like these are akin in my mind to the royal regalia of one of the Javanese kraton. They have deep historical and cultural importance and significance.

[asomotif]

Dear David,

I fully agree with you on the importance of such objects.
But do the musea in North America think the same way ?

Do they have pieces like this in musea ?

Best regards,
Willem

[David]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Dear David,

I fully agree with you on the importance of such objects.
But do the musea in North America think the same way ?

Do they have pieces like this in musea ?

Best regards,
Willem

Well my first hope is that most of these are still held by representatives of active tribes and continue to be ritually used.
Frankly i don't want to second guess how museums think, but i've rarely had much faith in them to do the right thing in regards to identification or presentation. One that i do really like (though i have not been there in years) is the American Indian Museum in NYC. I don't know if they have an example of this type of dagger in their collections, but i would think that there is at least a fair chance that they do.

[David]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Do they have pieces like this in musea ?

Well, they have one in the National American Indian Museum in Washington.
http://americanindian.si.edu/searchc...9566&culid=453

[David]

Here are a couple more in their collection.
http://americanindian.si.edu/searchc...Knife%2fDagger
Interesting that the first one here has a sheath for the hilt/pommel.

[David]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Do they have pieces like this in musea ?

....and just to put 2 nails in the answer, these 2 blades that i linked to earlier were both returned to tribes by museums, so i guess the answer is a resounding yes.

[David]

And i just noticed that the bear dagger also has a sheath for the hilt.