Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c21.17

c21.17

Knife handles Knife and sword handles are sometimes of ivory, more often, perhaps, of horn, and almost always so in the case of swords. Silver rivets and mountings are usually added to the ivory or horn handle. On Pl. XXXVII. is shown a very small selection of the forms of ivory handles, which are very varied and well made; Pl. XLVII., 11, shows the common form of sword handle, with its silver fittings. A peculiar fibrous material sometimes used, and called ‘unicorn horn,’ valuable also medicinally, is probably identical with the so-called ‘fish-tooth,’ which Sir George Watt refers to as being a common substitute for ivory in India, and actually preferred for sword and dagger hafts. In some cases we find a handle of this material inlaid with pegs of ivory. The same method of inlaying with ivory pegs is applied to articles of horn, as in the comb illustrated on Pl. XL., 12. Ivory dice, for *pacisi*, are shown on Pl. XL., 3. The numbers on them are represented by lac-filled incised circles.