Wedding knives

Two fine table knives in a decorated leather sheath. The knife blades have almost parallel edges and backs, and taper to a rounded tip on one (the tip is missing from the other). Each blade (max W 10 mm) has two marks, one the dagger mark of London and the other possibly crossed keys; the wear on the blades makes it difficult to identify these marks. The blades are integral with long slender bolsters (shoulders) which are inlaid with white metal wirework and pellets. The central panels on the handles are ivory, carved in a barley-sugar twist. The solid end caps are inlaid with white metal in the same way as the bolsters, although this has now discoloured. The leather sheath has a glued side seam and is decorated on front and back. There are horizontal mouldings which separate panels with impressed vertical and horizontal lines framing thistle stamps. There are the remains of a double suspension slot for a cord on either side at the top. Internally there is a central division, forming two spaces one for each of the two knives. The tip of the sheath is damaged and the terminal knop, a feature of this type of sheath, is missing.

In the 16th and 17th centuries it was common to carry a pair of matching knives in a single sheath. Highly decorated versions were often given as a wedding gift from the groom to the bride; these are usually inscribed with their names or the date of the wedding.