This beautifully detailed and rare Royal Navy officer’s dress dirk dates to late 18th Century and saw service during the reign of King George III (1760-1820).
The 200mm double-edged blade has a flattened diamond cross section and narrow needle-like spear point. The blade is in excellent condition with almost all of its original blue and gilt finish remaining. The blued blade has gilt floral decoration, differing on each side with what looks to be the stylised initials “S. O.” on the facing forte.
The finely carved ivory hilt is in excellent condition with a great colour. The hilt has a tapering rectangular cross section and is carved with chequered and scalloped panels.
The gilded and shaped cross guard is intricately detailed and deeply embossed with scrolled acanthus leaves and buds. The gilt bolster is embossed with roses, thistles and shamrocks, the Flowers of the Union. The pommel has lion faces, facing fore and aft, bordered above with embossed floral bands. The way in which the embossed flowers are arranged and the type of flowers used suggests that the pommel may bear a floriographic message. Floriography (the language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use and arrangement of flowers. Floriography was practiced throughout Europe and was very popular during the late 18th and 19th Centuries in Britain. The hilt is in overall excellent condition with some small movement in the acanthus cross guard and floral bolster.
The dirk is complete with its original gilded brass scabbard with two suspension rings, incised bands and a turned finial. The scabbard is lined inside with leather and is in excellent condition. The dirk sheathes and draws smoothly and is held firmly within the scabbard which retains almost all of its gilding with only mild wear.
This is a truly gorgeous, initialled, late 18th Century senior naval officer’s dirk, in fantastic condition and with a possible hidden message to decipher.
