Late 16th and early 17th century Highland dirk, £6800 at Huntly Auctions.
Much rarer are the close combat weapons from the Tudor and Stuart periods that were far more than mere dress accessories.
The earliest dateable dirk is the dagger clutched by a knight in stone effigy dated to 1502 at Ardchattan Priory in Argyll. It is noticeably different from earlier medieval knives (the so-called ballock and dudgeon daggers) as the blade is longer, single-edged and tapers to a point.
Most dirks had hafts carved from horn or a single piece of rootwood - the style of carving and the form changing over several centuries.
Late 16th and early 17th century Highland dirk, £6800 at Huntly Auctions.
Rare survivor
The ‘antique Scottish dirk’ offered by Huntly Auctions (16% buyer’s premium) in Keith, Moray, as part of a timed online sale that closed on November 19 was of a type typically dated to the late 16th and early 17th century.
It measured a total of 21in (52cm) long with its haft carved with a grip and pommel of interwoven bands of knotwork. A rare survivor in worn but honest condition, it was guided at £800-1200 but made £6800, selling via thesaleroom.com.
