Knife and Sheath
18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The pihiya or piha kaetta was a hand knife of often delicate workmanship from Southern India and Sri Lanka. It was commonly carried in an ornate scabbard as a personal accessory and sometimes also included a stylus for writing on palm leaf. The degree of decoration often signified the rank or status of the individual and ornate knives were presented to individuals as tokens of esteem.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Materials and techniques | Forged steel with carved horn, wood and silver mounts |
| Brief description | Knife and sheath piha kaetta forged steel blade with a carved horn hilt, wooden sheath and silver mounts, Sri Lanka, 18th century |
| Physical description | Forged steel blade with a carved horn hilt, wooden sheath and silver mounts |
| Summary | The pihiya or piha kaetta was a hand knife of often delicate workmanship from Southern India and Sri Lanka. It was commonly carried in an ornate scabbard as a personal accessory and sometimes also included a stylus for writing on palm leaf. The degree of decoration often signified the rank or status of the individual and ornate knives were presented to individuals as tokens of esteem. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.137&A-1958 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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