THE SWORD I SAW WAS A KASTANCE AND THE EYES OF THE MONSTERS WERE RUBYS AND THE HANDLE SOLID SILVER. THE BLADE WAS BLACK WITH STABLE RUST AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO SCABBARD. THE QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP WAS ON A LEVEL WITH YOUR DAGGER BUT THE DESIGN WAS PURE CEYLON (SIRI LANKA) STYLE LIKE ALL KASTANCE SWORDS I HAVE SEEN. I SAW IT AT A GUN SHOW IN THE MID 1970'S BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY AND COULD NOT INTEREST THE DEALER IN TRADING FOR CIVIL WAR SWORDS.
JUST TO MAKE SOME GUESSES ON THE DESIGN OF YOUR DAGGER. IT IS POSSIBLE THE TOP LARGE MALE FACE IS LORD RAMA AND THE FEMALE BELOW HIM WITH THE CROWN IS HIS WIFE SITA. PERHAPS THE 4 MALE FIGURES ENTANGLED ARE MEN, MONKEYS AND DEAMONS FIGHTING. THE FEMALE FIGURE BELOW THAT DOES NOT HAVE A CROWN AND DOSEN'T LOOK LIKE A DEAMON SO I CAN'T EVEN GUESS AS TO WHO SHE MIGHT BE. THESE CARACTERS COME FROM THE RAMAYANA STORYS AND DO VARY IN DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE THE HINDU RELIGION IS OR HAS BEEN.
IN BALI THERE IS A LION BARONG WHICH IS THE KING OF THE SPIRITS AND ALWAYS FIGHTS ON THE SIDE OF GOOD AGAINST EVIL. PERHAPS THE LION LIKE FACE AT THE TOP REPRESENTS THE BARONG. THEY DO EXCELLENT QUALITY METAL WORK IN BALI AND THE HANDLE SHAPE ON YOUR KNIFE REMINDS ME MORE OF A KERIS THAN A PHIA. SO BALI IS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY AS I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SOLID SILVER KERIS THERE AND SIMULAR STONES SET IN THE TOP QUALITY ITEMS. I HAVE EVEN SEEN 2 KERIS THAT HAD SOLID SILVER BLADES AS WELL.
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