Sinhala Piha Kaetta Knife

The "Piha Kaetta" is the traditional dagger of Sri Lanka. The most elaborate examples were made during the reign of the Kingdom of Kandy, in the royal workshops where the most richly decorated weapons were made. The workshops of Kandy made specifically for the court of Kandy, but there was also a market for luxury trade with European traders, such as the Dutch East India Company. The design is almost always similar and features a rather thick, single-edged, chopper-shaped blade. The blade is integrated into the hilt in a thick brass or silver ferrule with precious metal inlays. The ferrule is richly chased with floral motifs modified by silver inlays. The hilt is made of a composition of coral and buffalo horn carved with the greatest precision and decorated with a richly ornamented silver cap, riveted in brass and silver. The foregrip and blade face are covered in silver leaf which is set into a chiselled surface depicting scrolls of foliage. A wonderful example of a 'Piha Kaetta' believed to have been made in the royal workshops due to its beautiful chisel work and finely crafted silver cap. visit our website for more oriental arms and armour

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