Beautiful Silver Tibetan Dagger with pierced goldwork and inlaid turquoise

A most beautiful dagger from the Tibetan/Bhutanese region. The sheath, grip and pommel exquisitely chiselled from gilt-silver in the finest quality pierced and openwork technique sometimes known as derge, after the Tibetan province where it originated. The gilt-silver deeply pierced and incorporating various symbolic motifs throughout, including intertwined dragons and a garuda-like face design, inlaid with semi-precious turquoise stones. The openwork sheath mounted on a red felt (wool) ground which forms the lining for the inner sheath to house the blade. The blade itself is a stout four-sided stiletto type designed for punching and stabbing through armour, rather than cutting with an edge. An unusually high quality knife circa 1800. 39 cms overall.  bhutanese, sino-tibetan, tibetan, himalayan, himalayas, far east