Interesting handmade knife - inlaid - Inuit? - material?

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by Northern Lights Lodge, Feb 14, 2020.

  1. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

    Hi everyone,

    This little guy has been with me since the 1960's and I was a Junior High Schooler! It was probably about this time of year and I was walking through our subdivision and found him laying out in the street in the slush.

    I've always thought he was sweet. He appears to be handmade...and he DID have a little pointy coral color beak; and despite my attempts to save it...somewhere it got parted from him as his head has always been split. I think he was missing an eye when I found him. I honestly don't know what the base material is... it isn't a "bone" I'm familiar with... almost greenish and very "stringy" looking. It is almost transluscent. The wings are brass. The blade appears to be hand made also; steel...no id on the blade. The dots seem to be inlay - reddish, black and blue. He measures 3 1/2" long from head to tail and just over 1/2" wide.

    I've always "thought" that it was Inuit or Alaskan native - I'm not sure why; except that years and years ago (probably when I was in High School); my Dad subscribed to Nat Geo and I "think" I remember seeing an article about Inuits...and I could have sworn that I saw something similar in that article. I've since looked for the article and can't find it.

    I've asked from time to time at knife shows; but no one seems to have much info. So, I'm sharing with you all.

    Any ideas??

    Thanks Leslie


    IMG_1634 (2).JPG IMG_1636.JPG IMG_1641.JPG IMG_1636 (2).JPG IMG_1640.JPG
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2020
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  2. flipper

    flipper Striving to face adversity with tact and humor

  3. flipper

    flipper Striving to face adversity with tact and humor

    Lebanese figural knife made in Jezzine, Lebanon. It measures 3" closed. It is carved from horn. It has brass wings with what I believe are coral and turquoise inlays. There are a few inlays that are missing. The blades do not have a locking mechanism by design. This is the extent of my knowledge of this knife.

    -as copied from the post
     
    judy, blooey, KikoBlueEyes and 2 others like this.
  4. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

  5. flipper

    flipper Striving to face adversity with tact and humor

    Is "sniped" a bad thing?
     
  6. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    Depends on if you are the 'sniper' or the 'snipee'. :D
     
    i need help likes this.
  7. i need help

    i need help Moderator Moderator

    Not at all, just means I didn’t notice you found it before posted similar.
     
    komokwa likes this.
  8. Northern Lights Lodge

    Northern Lights Lodge Well-Known Member

     
    komokwa likes this.
  9. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    I have a incredibly similar letter opener.
     
  10. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    can we see....?:);)
     
    i need help and J Dagger like this.
  11. all_fakes

    all_fakes Well-Known Member

    And I have a fork/spoon serving set, marked "Made in Lebanon" as I recall.
     
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  12. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    No but only because I couldn’t find it if my life depended on it. :) I thought I found that it was made in Egypt when I looked but I’m probably wrong. Got it for $1 at a sale.
     
    komokwa and i need help like this.
  13. all_fakes

    all_fakes Well-Known Member

    Because these are a product of a very small area of Lebanon, unless you already knew the name "Jezzine ware" it would be pretty hard to search them online - and as a result, there are a lot of mis-identifications to be found online.
    But a search for that term produces lots of results: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jezzine+ware&form=HDRSC2&first=1&cw=1117&ch=384
    The inlays on most that I've seen appear to be various colors of plastic, rather than actual turquoise or coral.
     
  14. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    That makes sense! Mine are almost definitely not real stones. Not even sure they’re plastic. Might just be paint. I saw someone selling one once saying it was real stone when I would have bet $50 they weren’t.
     
    komokwa, all_fakes and i need help like this.
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