KNIFE WITH EQUINE POMMEL

Description This knife can be defined a 'stiletto' for its shape: the long, narrow blade serves as an extention of the handle, which is straight and not very thick. It was covered with leather straps which made the handle more comfortable to hold. The end is adorned with a horse's head depicted in the round, with its neck thicker than the handle itself. The head looks natural and simple, with just the right proportions and embellished with realistic details: a raised mane, an everted tongue inside the mouth. Characteristic of the steppe art, the eyes consist of round holes bordered by a circle, inside which a stone was perhaps set. This is an uncommon shape for a specimen, probably coming from Liaoning or Inner Mongolia, north-east of Beijing.