Antique Ceylonese Sinhalese Knife Dagger Piha Kaetta Sérapéṅdiya Hilt 18th century Sri Lanka Ceylon

Very Rare antique museum quality Ceylonese, Sinhalese aristocrat knife—dagger Piha Kaetta, Sri Lanka-Ceylon, Kandyan period, 18th century A.D.

The hilt is of a very rare form, finely carved of bone in the shape of a mythical bird, the Sérapéṅdiya. It is mounted at the base with a shaped and engraved silver ferrule.

A slightly curved single-edged steel blade of typical form is cut on each side with a twin fuller along the back edge and clad with silver chased with scales pattern bordered by gold and copper inlaid ornament and adorned below with short rectangular panels finely carved in low relief with trailing plant. The blade's spine is also clad in silver chased with a scale pattern.

The ricasso is enclosed by massive, goldish-colored metal panels, chiseled, pierced, engraved with scrolls, and inlaid with silver.

Such handles with birds are very rare. One of them, perhaps the oldest, was published in Hales (2013) and is believed to date back to the 15th century. Hales suspects that all of the earliest forms had a serapia head, and the handle lost the shape of a bird in favor of more complex abstract forms. Another example, probably from the 18th century, is published in Deraniygala (1942), which has a horn or wooden handle. In different museums in Sri Lanka there are only five specimens.

Please see the link below:

https://antiquegallery.com.ua/en/bez_rubriky/sinhala-sword-kastane-knife-piha-caette-2/

CONDITION: It is in very good condition. It shows age and use, with an old patina. A grip with some age cracks, that is common in this type of material. Please see all 9 pictures in the listing, as they are part of the object's condition description.

MEASUREMENTS:

Overall length: 29.5 cm (11.61 inches).

REFERENCES:

1) "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor" by George Cameron Stone.

2. "Ancient Swords, Daggers & Knives in Sri Lankan Museums" Sri Lanka National Museums. Authors Pilippu Hewa Don Hemasiri De Silva, Senarat Vikramasiṃha. Publisher: Department of National Museums.

We will provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.

To see all 13 pictures of the bow please see the link below:

https://www.antiquesword101.com/Islamic-Oriental-Arms-and-Armor.php#!/Antique-Ceylonese-Sinhalese-Knife-Dagger-Piha-Kaetta-S%C3%A9rap%C3%A9%E1%B9%85diya-Hilt-18th-century-Sri-Lanka-Ceylon/p/655492285/category=3736928