Chinese Fisherman's Knife

Glossy red-brown beak with a long ringed tail dangling behind.

This fisherman's knife is from Dongbei or Shan Xi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is iron, wood & horn. Horn is a durable material often used for handles and fittings, since it can be heated, shaped and polished and holds up well in wet conditions. Smooth, pointed body in polished reddish brown with a rounded front and a faint seam along the side. A short jointed chain of golden-toned links runs left and ends in a large round ring. It is 10.5 inches wide and 1.5 deep.

Neat, shiny and tethered to its own small ring.