Mexico, probably northern, ca. 1830-1900. This knife is the classic Bowie style, with a long blade curved at the tip. There is a name carved into the upper part of the blade: "J J Bernal" with a small curved design. The handle is metal with wood around it; some of the wood has broken away, but the shape is clear. Bowie knives were designed by Jim Bowie in the early 1800s and he famously used one to kill three men in a fight in 1829. After Bowie's death at the Alamo, he passed into American legend; his knives became so popular that by the mid-1800s they were being mass produced as far away as in Sheffield, England. At the time, Mexican knife fighting technique was famous and Mexicans were renowned as incredibly fierce knife fighters. This may have been because knife fighting was very popular in Spain and many settlers to Mexico would have brought with them ideas of honor and their own fighting techniques. Size: 15" long, 2-1/4"W at hilt (widest point) and 1" at deepest point (handle).

Provenance: Ex-James Caswell, Historia Antiques, Santa Monica, CA.

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#109746

Blade has patina; hilt has some movement but is intact. The wood around the handle is broken in some places but still covers most of it.