Latin America, South America, Argentina or Uruguay, ca. 19th century CE. A fantastic pair of knives known as facons: one with an elaborate nickel silver handle and the other displaying a handle carved from ungulate bone and accompanied by a leather sheath. Both presenting sharp steel blades, these attractive weapons were likely used by South American cowboys known as gauchos. The nickel silver knife features a cuboid form handle that gently widens to a rounded butt, all adorned in floral relief motifs with horizontal bands at the top, center, and bottom. Conversely, the knife with the bone handle exhibits a bronze butt and bolster, each separated from the bone via a horizontal strip of wood flanked by 2 slender bands of nickel silver. This knife is accompanied by a leather sheath with a brass buckle. Size of largest (knife with bone handle): 10" L x 1.7" W (25.4 cm x 4.3 cm); of leather sheath: 11.1" L x 1.8" W (28.2 cm x 4.6 cm)

Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in the 1960's

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#174276

Knife with nickel silver handle has repair to butt with small stable fissure in one area and minor chip to tip of blade. Both have expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Some staining and surface wear to sheath. Otherwise, bone knife and sheath are intact and all are very nice with rich patina.