Posted 6 years ago
LaurenRedm…
(118 items)
This is the latest purchase in a charity shop. Cost only €4. not sure what wood its made from or even what it's used for. Is it a type of knife used in ritualistic things? Is it only a souvenir? Or just a fancy letter opener?!!!
Anyway, its got a lovely carved handle which to be fair, must have been a PAIN to carve(!) and- at the top it's got a little elephant that made me think its from Africa or India?
Would really appreciate what this little knife is used for, what wood it is and where it's from. Thanks for looking!!!
Interesting little item. You are correct about being difficult to carve. The wood is aged and certainly a dense hardwood. From the picture I would venture to say it is blood wood. I have some of it here that has aged and has aged a similar appearance. However, blood wood is native to South America so if this is from Africa/India that doesn't fit well unless the wood was imported.
Thanks for the information fhrjr2, you could be right about it being imported because of the elephant on the top of it and elephants not being from South America and all that...:)
I just looked at your picture #2 which I hadn't enlarged before. Interestingly the elephant's trunk is downward. In the western world trunk down is bad luck. In India and Asia the trunk down is good luck. Buddhists have many interpretations of elephants and their trunks. I happen to have an elephant on the shelf above my computer with his butt aimed at the front door. When it was given to me I was told to place it that way and it would keep bad luck and evil away from my home. Not sure it works but I won't turn it around to find out.
That's why I wonder about it being imported like you suggested? And I did know about the trunks down in elephant statues- I have one too but his trunk is up which I suppose in western culture( where he's from) is good luck? I also think maybe from a practicality point of veiw since he is part of the handle it would make the handle stronger and less breakable?