Interesting French knife
 

Hi.I purchased this French (I guess so) piece on ebay and i am glad i did it .Although nothing related to my main field of interest Turkish arms, I liked it very much and would request more information about age and symbols on it. Especially the medusa like male or witch? head in the middle of the scabbard.It was the main point which caused my interest to densify on the item,cause I have a French pistol with the same head figure on the stock pommel. Does it symbolize anything definite in European arms decoration terminology? And the guy with mustache on the top of the hilt? The Roman armors? etc. etc. It was described as 19th century item but by accident can it in fact be a 18th c. piece made before the French revolution,having royal symbols? The blade is strong, tip pointed and looks old.Scabbard and hilt are heavy brass.

regards

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/...dagger1876.jpg

This one is marked FAB Toledo ano 1876. They are Spanish knives.

BTW, the handle on this is tooled steel.

n2s

This head is of the female monster Medussa. She had the power to turn her enemies to stone. It is a common decoration on Greek and Philellenic (friends of Greeks) weapons for obvious reasons.

The tale of Medussa based on books for children, here

http://www.op97.org/instruct/ftcyber/perseus/index.html

Lol.Thanks .I already knew Medusa enough to guess it can be her head on the scabbard , but for further details the writing in the link is too long and boring for me.Don't you have a more colorful one rich with drawings? ;)
Thanks not2sharp. Yes mine is tooled steel too.Doesnt have any mark.Do you know if i must doubt that this model could be a popular accessory in that era and were mass produced in Toledo in large numbers?

I feel quite like a Gorgon myself, at times.