Artwork preview

Knife (Piha Kaetta) with Stylus and Sheath

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The knife has a brown handle shaped like a bird's head with a long metal blade. The handle features an orange and black design resembling scales. A metal bolster separates the handle from the blade. The blade is dark with visible rust or wear. A small metal object, possibly a stylus, is positioned to the right of the knife, featuring a dark metal shaft with a pointed tip and a small metal loop at the top, wrapped with a piece of string or fiber. To the right of the stylus is a dark brown wooden sheath with a rounded end and a small metal tip. The background is a plain off-white color. The title of the image is "Knife (Piha Kaetta) with Stylus and Sheath".

Artwork Details

Date
18th–19th century
Medium
Wood, ivory, steel, brass
Culture
Sri Lankan
Dimensions
446 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette