12 S. HOLTH. M.-N. KI. 
A knife handle of silver! is very interesting both in the ornaments 
and in the inscriptions (Pl. IV, 35 a, b and c in natural size, a? and b? 
in double size). The knife blade, which has been inserted in the split 
35c, was certainly made of steel and long ago destroyed by rust. The 
handle was cast: a small congealed projecting metal drop on one side 
(35 b and b?) has corresponded with the funnel of the mould; the in- 
distinctness of the ornaments in the upper third of the same side seems 
due to an unsuccessful cast work. The ornaments and letters are de- 
pressed. 
On one side the border drawings are continual single spirals (a and 
a2), on the other side a serrated pattern (b and b?) These border decora- 
tions are by a line separated from two central fields, of which the upper 
one shows hunting scenery with barking dogs; on a and a? is seen an 
animal (wild boar?) who faces his pursuers; on b and b? only two ani- 
mals are distinct, and the rest seems to have been unsuccessfully cast. 
The fields near the blade have Greek inscriptions, which Professor 
S. ErrnEM of Kristiania has been kind enough to interprete. 
On one side of the handle is written: 
OEXMEKAEIITA 
= Ho ue, wAérra 
»Put me down again, you thief!«; in other words: »I am not for you«. 
On the other side of the handle (35 b and b?) we read: 
KYPINEX2 
= woo)» Eyw 
>I] have (already) a master« 9: and do not need a new one. 
The inscription has probably been a well known formula applied on 
such objects. The artist — who perhaps was not a Greek — has copied 
_ the formula but has omitted the O in KYPION. Omega is engraved as 
a minuscule, the other letters are all majuscules. 
Judging from the form of the letters, especially the short cross stripe 
at the end of each character the handle originates from the 3rd century 
of the Christian era — or later. 
Regarding the use of the knife the animal pictures might indicate a 
hunting knife; but for that use the handle is too slender. It might be fit for 
a table knife or a surgical scalpel. The upper end of the ancient scalpel 
! I have submitted a chip of the knob of the upper end for quantitative analysis to 
professor J. Sebelien, who has kindly given me the result: Silver 89.22 0/p, Lead 
0.90 0/5, Copper 780°/o, Iron r or 0/5, Gold o.52 9/9, Tin (traces). 
