Luxury daggers have always carried a certain mystique with them. It figures prominently in several antique collections and can fetch pretty hefty amounts like the Taj Mahal gold dagger that was sold for a whopping $1 million a few years back. But the dagger that I am talking about boasts of a double whammy in terms of antiquity. Not only does it look like a ancient Aztec dagger, it also is a vintage Tiffany piece, made by its celebrated designer G. Paulding Farnham, way back in 1900.
This expensive dagger was bought by an undisclosed museum at an auction conducted by Clarc’s Auction Gallery. It fetched an impressive $105,000. This piece of bejeweled art is made from sterling silver, ivory, and faceted obsidian. The most prominent feature of the dagger is the face of an Aztec god wearing an elaborate headdress engraved on silver at the top of the handle. The handle itself is lovely, being made from ivory. The blade as well as the handle is encrusted with Faceted obsidian, which is a rare gem closely associated with the Aztec culture.
Farnham was the head of jewelry design at Tiffany’s from 1891 till 1908. He is still regarded as one of the greatest masters of his craft, whose works have been awarded at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889 and 1900, where he won the Grand prize for his silverware collection. His creations drew inspiration from myriad sources, including Asian, Egyptian, Russian, and Celtic cultures. It would be a treasured item in any collection, not just for its face value but also for the artistic heritage that it represents.
Via: LiveAuctioneers
