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Stiletto

Culture: European

Date: late 16th - early 17th century
Medium: steel, iron, copper wire, silver, wood
Dimensions:
Overall: 13 1/4 x 3 x 1 3/4 in. (33.7 x 7.6 x 4.4 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1961.42.1
Effective in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat.  The stiletto was held in the left hand while the sword was held in the right.  The dagger permitted the swordsman to parry (deflect) an opponent’s thrusts. The stiletto was also used to finish off a fallen or severely wounded, heavily armored opponent.
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