Forest Warder's Dagger

Though I am not emotionally invested in "weaponry" as such, I am aesthetically intrigued by daggers and swords from the past, because such objects can often be quite beautiful. The artistry inherent to such weapons is often displayed in the hilt and the sheath (though the variety of shapes found in the blades, and the reasoning behind the shapes, can also be quite amazing).

I have been conceptually working on a "forest warder's" costume for the upcoming (2011) Renaissance Faire in Los Angeles. The character is totally from the realm of my imagination: someone who is spiritual and wise and uses whatever power he has to protect the woodland realms.

In creating a dagger for such a person, I wanted the hilt to reflect the forest, thus the relief motifs reveal flowers and leaves and vines. The point of the hilt that meets the blade, is meant to resemble the gnarled and twisted ends of a root. The knobbed end of the hilt, has a green glass inset--once again reflecting the principal color of the forest. The hilt is wood toned, with a very fine dusting of gold mica powder that was meticulously rubbed in by hand.

My favorite medium--paper mache--is used here as well. The "blade" is paper mache, with silver mica applied over it, and the relief work on the hilt is applied paper clay over wood.

This is my first dagger, and it is my intention to do several more.