DAGGER WITH BIRD HEADS

Description The dagger is flat, both in the handle and in the decorative elements, and is very similar on both faces. The long, narrow, double-edged blade is marked in the centre by a strong raised rib that extends to the attachment between the hilt and the handle. The perforated hilt is formed by the necks and heads of two birds facing each other in front of this central rib. These are evidently two birds of prey, with large round eyes and a hooked beak folded to form an eyelet. The animals' necks are divided into two separate elements, the outermost of which is decorated with twisted stripes like a string. The flat handle features three highly stylized bas-relief cervids. The end of the handle features the same perforated birds that decorate the hilt, with the only variation being that the beaks touch each other directly. Numerous daggers with bird-shaped antennae have been found at the Maoqinggou site in Inner Mongolia and the surrounding region.