Dirk
Unknown Artist
late 17th century
Medium
Steel, horn
Dimensions
L. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm); W. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); Wt. 5.7 oz. (161.6 g)
Classification
Knives
Culture
possibly Portuguese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, 1893
Accession Number
93.13.74
Art Historical Context
Step into the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor collection with this elegant late 17th-century dirk, a thrusting dagger measuring 12⅞ inches in length. Crafted from steel with a horn handle, its slender blade (1½ inches wide) and lightweight design (just 5.7 ounces) made it ideal for close-quarters combat or utility tasks. Possibly of Portuguese origin, it reflects the Iberian Peninsula's renowned metalworking traditions during an era of global exploration and naval power. Dirks like this were versatile sidearms for sailors, soldiers, or civilians amid Europe's Age of Sail, when Por...