One of four fire-steels
- Made:
- Bow
[One of] Four Fire-steels (lengths from 4 1/2 to 3 3/4 ins); all of same type and devoid of ornament; each with hand-hold formed of a long tapering tang, as long as the steel, recurved so as to touch the back of the bottom of the steel, where it terminates in an enlargement, clearly the conventionalized head of a stork-like bird, such as that represented on many Persian steels (see nos. 487-488), though all detail has been lost; one example made from an old file. [NB: One of 19 examples (nos. 487-505) which are all believed to be Persian or Indo-Persian and some to be very old. They are all of peculiar, but elegant, shape. Several are decorated by excellent damascene-work in gold. Together they form a handsome and interesting series which is worthy of special notice.]