You can view a featured object of the week on Herefordshire Museum Service's Facebook page.
Dagger
Click on an image for a larger view.
Dagger, Persian. Rock crystal handle with red velvet covered scabbard. This item was donated in 1896 by the Reverend Paul Hyman Sternchuss Strong. The entry in the Accession Register describes it as a ‘Persian dagger with rock crystal handle.’ Persia is the cultural and historical name for what is now Iran. The new name was introduced in 1935. There are a number of fascinating points about this item; if the handle is rock crystal, or quartz, then the carving and polishing work on it is exquisite, especially as there are so few flaws present within the matrix of the piece. It is more likely that this is a version of glass that has been used. The enamelling work is beautifully executed as well, with a rich colouration. Perhaps the figure on the other side was the possible owner, or commissioner of the item. Looking at the blade, it exhibits a pattern welded Damascened steel" effect, with a water-like appearance. It is difficult to say if this is truly a damascened blade as the production of those blades seems to have ended around 1700. There is much mystery applied to damascened blades as they were of legendary sharpness and strength, and were supposed to be able to cut through lesser quality European swords and even rock. A similar effect can be achieved today with pattern welding, so it is difficult to confirm the age of this item, but it could be a much older blade within a later scabbard and fittings.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | |
| Date | 1896 |
| Period | Victorian |
| Collection | Ethnography |
| Technique | |
| Material | Metal |
| Creator | Hyman Sternchuss Strong, Reverend Paul |
| Name | |
| Locality | Middle East |
Copyright notice
The contents of this site, including all images and text are copyright Herefordshire Council. All material is provided for browsing and viewing purposes only.
No copies of any text may be made except for personal use, which shall mean non-commercial use, by an individual making only a single copy of the text or digital image.
No copies of any digital image shall be made except for personal use, as defined above, or for non-commercial research, private study, criticism and review.
Herefordshire Council holds the copyright for all the photographs of paintings in its collections displayed on this website and must be contacted for permission when paintings are to be reproduced.
For more recent works in the collections the work itself may be in copyright. Artistic works are protected in the EU from creation for a period of the lifetime of the artist plus 70 years. If you wish to reproduce a work still within copyright you should seek permission from the artist, their estate, or other rights holder. This permission must be obtained in addition to any permission obtained from Herefordshire Council for reproducing the photograph of the work.
To request permission to reuse a photograph please contact herefordmuseums@herefordshire.gov.uk.