Sri Lankan Dagger with Brass & Silver Mounts (Piha-Kaetta)

This example of an eighteenth century piha-kaetta has a hilt is of horn that is finely carved and detailed with a liya-pata pattern – a typical leafy creeper pattern of Sri Lanka’s interior. The end of the hilt is encased in a broad rounding of silver that has been chased with typically Ceylonese scrolling foliage, and surmounted by a spherical tang finial. The hilt is further embellished with fine diamond-shaped leaf motif plaques in silver.

The blade is straight with a single edge. The top of the blade is encased in thick silver that has been extravagantly chased with repeated geometric flower motifs. That part of the blade nearest the handle is thickly encased with silver and brass mounts worked with elaborate foliate motifs.

The scabbard is of light wood, the upper part of which has been encased in a copper sheet.

Click here to see a related example in the Victoria & Albert Museum.

This piha-kaetta is in fine condition. There is a small section of silver sheet top the blade that is missing but other than that, the dagger and scabbard is complete. Overall, the knife has a good patina and obvious age.