Auctions: Three daggers
The December auction of the American Rock Island Auction Company featured these three daggers, each with an ornately carved scabbard of antique ivory or bone. Unfortunately, the auction catalogue gives little detail on origin and date.
The left dagger has an overall length of 343 mm, with a 197 mm spear point blade, decorated with interwoven geometric and scroll motifs with line and chequerboard backgrounds. The handle is constructed from three pieces of antique ivory. The face of the scabbard has an elaborate panel scene depicting the danse macabre.
The centre dagger is 375 mm overall and has a 254 mm blade with an etched game scene on either side. The handle and scabbard are from antique ivory or bone. The face of the scabbard has a scene scene of two spearmen and a pack of hunting dogs trying to take down a bear.
The dagger on the right measures 356 mm, with a 216 mm unmarked needle-point blade. The cylindrical grip has a carved scene of a king with a war pick with "LADISLAVS IV" in an arc above him. Ladislaus IV of Hungary was King of Hungary and Croatia 1272-1290. The sheath has a carved decoration on the front including a quiver, crossed scimitars, a helmed shield, and a rampant dragon. According to the auction house, the heraldry on the shield, an eagle in the top have and three pierced six-pointed stars arrayed over 3 mountains on the bottom, has not been positively identified.
Three daggers, origin and date unknown. The pictures are not to scale. Pictures copyright RIA 2022