A Rare Imperial Knife

A rare Imperial Knife with an elaborately carved white jadeite scabbard from The lovely design comes from the Qing Reign, China's penultimate imperial dynasty.

A Manchu guy would have used this knife during a meal. As a kind of identification, these folks frequently ate with distinctive knives. After selling for more than $300,000 at Christie's auction house in November 2011, A rare Imperial Knife earned its position among the world's most expensive knives.

The lustrous white jadeite scabbard of slightly tapering oval section, finely carved in high relief near the opening with a chilong suspending a loose ring reserved on the low-relief intertwining leafy lotus scroll carved along the scabbard, framed by narrow leiwen borders below the mouth and around the chape, the gilt-bronze handle superbly chased with corresponding lotus blossoms borne on a 34.4cm

Estimated Value: $310,000

Origin: China

Time Period: 18th century