Lot 294
**First Time At Auction**
Western Europe, Spain, Madrid, ca. 1860 CE. An exceptional steel weapon known as navaja, the folding blade opens on a spring! The iron handle is covered with intricate openwork and incised panels of brass, and inlaid cow horn sheets, and cut bovine bone. The incredible single edge steel blade has open-work and brass inlays, engraved foliate motifs highlighted with red pigment, and an inscription below the spine. The Spanish text is partially legible - and reads "Manufactured in Madrid in Puerta Cerrada by a pair of gunsmiths in the year 1860." The spidery etching is less discernable towards the last half which might be a heartfelt motto of honor. The locking bar is functional, and to open one only must pull the blade outward, and to close pull the iron lock bar outward. The design is based on barber straight razors, and the size of this blade makes it a "navajas de muestra" (show/exhibition razor). Size full length: 67.75" L (172.1 cm); blade only: 32.75" L x 1.4" W (83.2 cm x 3.6 cm);
The navaja could range from small knifes to large weapons such as this example, which were often carried by nobility as ornate status symbols and for defense. The switchblade construction was useful for travel, protecting the blade, and lightweight compared to other weapons of a similar size when fully extended. This weapon for the most part, was probably not used not on the battlefield but instead at court and other elite institutions to demonstrate the social standing of its owner, although there are accounts of navajas used in the Napoleonic wars. Celtic and Iberian folding knives date back to pre-Roman times, and evolved from there into barber razors, navaja swords, and pocket knives of today.
Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
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#177436
- Condition: Nicks to blades. Losses to bone inlays and horn on handle. Brass inlays coming loose on handle and some losses to inlays. Blade folds out and closes easily. Areas of dark patina and toning. Most of inscription is legible, last half with motto and dedication is mostly indiscernible. Overall a rare and unique piece!
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| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |