Dagger (Kindjal) with Scabbard

ca. 1850-1865

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 379

This dagger has two central grooves in its steel blade. The handle and sheath have been decorated in niello, a black substance containing silver, copper, lead, and sulphur, that is a striking contrast to the silver ground. In the Caucasus, daggers such as this one were inseparable companions of Caucasian men and used for a variety of purposes, such as weapons, cork screws, and paper cutters, as well as dance accessories. Nineteenth-century photographs of Caucasian men in native dress frequently include such daggers, which are attached to their belts in a diagonal manner.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Dagger (Kindjal) with Scabbard
Date: ca. 1850-1865
Geography: Mingrelia
Culture: Georgian, Mingrelia
Medium: Steel, wood, leather, silver, niello
Dimensions: L. with sheath 23 1/8 in. (58.7 cm); L. of sheath 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm); W. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 4.8 oz. (589.7 g); Wt. of sheath 12 oz. (340.2 g)
Classification: Daggers
Credit Line: Bequest of Stephen Whitney Phoenix, 1881
Object Number: 81.1.599a, b
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Priming Flask (natruska), Steel, silver, niello, horn, Caucasian, West Georgia, probably Mingrelia — Priming Flask (natruska)
Caucasian, West Georgia, probably Mingrelia
19th century

Dagger (Kindjal) with Scabbard, Steel, wood, silver, niello, leather, Caucasian, Dagestan — Dagger (Kindjal) with Scabbard
Caucasian, Dagestan
ca. 1900; blade dated A.H. 1234/A.D 1818–19

Helmet (Sallet), Steel, iron, gold, silver, cloisonné enamel, leather, textile, Spanish, possibly Granada — Helmet (Sallet)
Spanish, possibly Granada
late 15th–early 16th century

Dagger (kindjal) with Scabbard, Steel, horn, silver, niello, Georgian, Mingrelia; blade, Georgian, Tbilisi — Dagger (kindjal) with Scabbard
Georgian, Mingrelia; blade, Georgian, Tbilisi
ca. 1850-1865

Dagger (kindjal) with Scabbard, Steel, horn, silver gilt, niello, wood, leather, Caucasian, Dagestan or Vladikavkaz area — Dagger (kindjal) with Scabbard
Caucasian, Dagestan or Vladikavkaz area
ca. 1900

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.