15th century dagger with later blade

[Jim McDougall]

Interesting to see this thread brought up, and despite the administrative issue ? focus, the discussion of 2022 was interesting.
Obviously a hilt with such dramatic openwork was not intended pragmatically for use as a weapon combatively, but clearly more in a ceremonial, status oriented capacity. The themes on these kinds of highly decorated weapons have nothing to do with gender.

These kinds of dramatically presented themes in decoration bring to mind the works of artists Hans Holbein (the younger, 1497-1543) and Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) which became popularly used to embellish arms and armor of the time. Most famed was the work of macabre theme by Holbein known as "The Dance of Death" and became well known on a type of dagger associated with the Swiss. The general design also Swiss used the theme of William Tell, the national hero, and these 'Swiss' type daggers became popularized and in use into the 20th century.

The concept of these profusely decorated openwork themes on hilts and mounts of edged weapons carried well into the 18th century with weapons intended as presentation, diplomatic and prestigious symbols still followed these neoclassic conventions, again into later centuries. These are works of art despite the context of being in weapon form.

As well noted in the original discussion, the commemorative artwork in the hilt is likely a neoclassic work which would be hard to determine as far as its place and time of make, and the blade clearly earlier but in remarkable condition, again its particulars not yet determined.