Knife (Bade-bade) with Sheath
Unknown Artist
16th–19th century
Medium
Steel, wood, bone
Dimensions
H. with sheath 17 in. (43.2 cm); H. without sheath 11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm); H. of blade 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm); W. 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm); Wt. 4.3 oz. (121.9 g); Wt. of sheath 1.8 oz. (51 g)
Classification
Daggers
Culture
Sumatran, possibly Acheen
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number
36.25.704a, b
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Knife (Bade-bade) with Sheath* hails from Sumatra, possibly the Aceh region of Indonesia, dating to the 16th–19th century. Crafted from steel for the blade, with a hilt and sheath of wood and bone, it 17 inches (43.2 cm) with its sheath and weighs just 4.3 ounces (121.9 g) without. The straight, double-edged blade—7¼ inches (18.4 cm) long—exemplifies fine metalworking, likely pattern-welded or forged for strength and sharpness, essential for a dagger used in close combat or as a status symbol. In Sumatran culture, particularly among the warrior elite of Aceh's sultanates, the ...