Daggers with a curved blade and a thick, waisted hilt formed part of the standard accoutrements of an Iranian gentleman in the early 19th century. They were worn tucked into the sash that formed a belt around such a man’s coat. Daggers were a sign of status as much as a weapon, and they were often richly decorated. The hilt of this dagger is faced with a shiny metal, perhaps silver, set with what appear to be hardstones, including turquoises. The sheath has glossy lacquer decoration: the wood was coated with gesso, painted in colours and gold, and varnished. Even the blade, which is of fine watered steel – a high-furnaced steel with a surface resembling watered silk – has small areas of decoration inlaid in gold.