A Cretan ritual

A small  ritual knife from the island of Crete. The greater majority of Cretan knives have straight V-shaped hilts made of white bone. This example however has a yataghan-style hilt made of horn which has been stained black. In Crete black-hilted knives were traditionally used for magic spells and to ward off evil. 
 
On this example the blade is in good condition overall, but shows clear signs of use and some slight pitting at the tip. It is firm in the hilt, but there is some movement, probably as a result of the horn slabs shrinking with age. The hilt is solid, but missing a brass rivet button on one side. The fine black leather covering on the sheath is stitched with brass wire. It has cracked off around the mouth of the scabbard, but is otherwise sound. 
 
Blade length: 15 cm
Overall length: 24 cm
Length in scabbard: 27.5 cm
Late 19th - early 20th century
Shipping: C$40 to the U.S. and Canada