Interesting little knife (Tibetan? African?)

shayde78 · 1st July 2021, 08:45 PM

Hi all,

I recently acquired this piece. I was surprised at the small size when it arrived (I've included pictures to provide some scale). The 'pommel' suggests typical Tibetan motifs, but isn't exactly the same. The loop on the grip reminds me of some African pieces that have bells attached (I think used for circumcisions?).

The blade is single edged, the INSIDE of the curve being sharp. It stills has a bit of a keen edge and appears to be a functional blade.

I haven't found anything very similar other than early forms of the Tibetan kartika. However, I believe the one example I found was mislabeled a kartika, because that form has a sharp edge on the outside of the curve, and the hilt is oriented in a completely different configuration.

Anyway, I'm sure someone will recognize this. I'm always grateful for speculation and guesses, too!

Thanks everyone!

1st July 2021, 08:45 PM	#1
shayde78 Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 445	Interesting little knife (Tibetan? African?) Hi all, I recently acquired this piece. I was surprised at the small size when it arrived (I've included pictures to provide some scale). The 'pommel' suggests typical Tibetan motifs, but isn't exactly the same. The loop on the grip reminds me of some African pieces that have bells attached (I think used for circumcisions?). The blade is single edged, the INSIDE of the curve being sharp. It stills has a bit of a keen edge and appears to be a functional blade. I haven't found anything very similar other than early forms of the Tibetan kartika. However, I believe the one example I found was mislabeled a kartika, because that form has a sharp edge on the outside of the curve, and the hilt is oriented in a completely different configuration. Anyway, I'm sure someone will recognize this. I'm always grateful for speculation and guesses, too! Thanks everyone! Attached Images