Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Kukri (Khukuri) Knife and Nepali Arms & Armour
at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York, USA.
Image and item description from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Original text from George C Stone`s work:
“A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor:
in All Countries and in All Times (1934).”
Includes a short biography about George C Stone and his Weapon collections.
SirKukri & Co Research
Gurkha‐Antiques.com
2014
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1.Knife (Kukri) with Sheath
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese, Gurkha
Medium: Steel, ivory, gold, silver, wood, leather
Dimensions: H. with sheath 18 1/4 in. (46.4 cm); H. without sheath 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm); W. 2 1/8
in. (5.4 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 8.9 oz. (705.9 g); Wt. of sheath 8.2 oz. (232.5 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.713a, b
“Ivory hilt, blade 14,5 inches long. Scabbard mounts of chased, pierced and
embossed gold.”
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2. Knife (Kukri) with Two Sheaths, Two Small Knives, and Two Sharpening
Pouches
Date: 18th–19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, horn, gold, leather, velvet
Dimensions: H. with sheath 18 1/2 in. (47 cm); H. without sheath 17 3/8 in. (44.1 cm); W. 1
11/16 in. (4.3 cm); Wt. 14 oz. (396.9 g); Wt. of sheaths 9.1 oz. (258 g); small knife (c); H. 6 1/4 in.
(15.9 cm); W. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm); Wt. 1.3 oz (36.9 g); small knife (d); H. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); W. 7/8
in. (2.2 cm); Wt. 1 oz. (28.3 g)
Classification: Daggers
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number 36.25.714a–g
“Dark wood hilt, blade 14 inches long, Two small knifes with horn handles and two
pouches. Scabbard with pierced gold mounts.”
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3. Knife (Kukri) with Sheath, Small Knife and Pouch
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, wood, leather
Dimensions: Knife (a); H. with sheath 17 3/8 in. (44.1 cm); H. without sheath 17 3/8 in. (44.1
cm); W. 3 in. (7.6 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 15.1 oz. (881.7 g); sheath (b); Wt. 4.1 oz. (116.2 g); small knife (c);
H. 5 3/16 in. (13.2 cm); W. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); Wt. 1.6 oz. (45.4 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.828a–d
“Hilt with disk guard and pommel like a kora.”
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4. Knife (Kukri) with Sheath, Two Small Knives and Pouch
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, silver, wood, leather
Dimensions: Knife (a); H. with sheath 18 1/16 in. (45.9 cm); H. without sheath 16 13/16 in. (42.7
cm); W. 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 0.6 oz. (470.6 g); sheath (b); Wt. 9.5 oz. (269.3 g); small
knife (c); H. 4 9/16 in. (11.6 cm); W. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm); Wt. 0.8 oz. (22.7 cm); small knife (d); H. 4
1/2 in. (11.4 cm); W. 15/16 in. (2.4 cm); Wt. 1.2 oz. (34 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.827a–e
“Blade 14 inches long, Hilt and scabbard mountings of chased silver. The hilt of the
small knifes are of wood.”
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5. Knife (Kukri) with Sheath
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, wood, leather, gold
Dimensions: H. with sheath 17 7/16 in. (44.3 cm); H. without sheath 16 5/8 in. (42.2 cm); W. 1
15/16 in. (4.9 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 1.2 oz. (487.6 g); Wt. of sheath 5.1 oz. (144.6 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.825a, b
Not shown in Stones Image of Kukri knifes in his book.
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6. Knife (Kukri) with Sheath, Two Small Knives and Pouch
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, ivory, leather
Dimensions: Knife (a); H. with sheath 16 13/16 in. (42.7 cm); H. without sheath 16 13/16 in.
(42.7 cm); W. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); Wt. 14.2 oz. (402.6 g); sheath (b); Wt. 3.3 oz. (93.6 g); small knife
(c); H. 6 5/16 in. (41.4 cm); W. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Wt. 2.3 oz. (65.2 g); small knife (d); H. 6 13/16
in. (17.3 cm); W. 1 3/16 in. (3 cm); Wt. 2 oz. (56.7 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.829a–e
“Narrow blade 12,5 inches long. The hilts of the kukri and small knives are of
ivory.“
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Most of these Kukri knifes were originally first found in A Glossary of the
Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armour by George Cameron
Stone, New York, 1961 (orig 1934) and where then given the the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. His work is one of the earlier scholarly classifications of the
Kukri (Khukuri), where he states;
"KUKRI, COOKRI, KOOKERI ‐ the national knife and principal weapon of the
Gurkhas of Nepal. It has a heavy, curved, single‐edged blade sharp on the concave
side. The hilt is usually straight and without guard; occasionally it has a disk guard
and pommel like a sword (kora) from the same sharpener. Quite often one, or both,
of these knifes have hilts of branching stag‐horn. The weight of the blade of the
kukri is well towards the point and a tremendous blow can be struck with it with
very little muscular exertion. There are well authenticated instances of a Gurkha
having split the head of a man and cut well down into his chest with a single blow.
It is carried by Gurkhas at all times and used as a jungle and hunting knife as well
as for war. The scabbards are often embroidered with quills or decorated with
silver or gold chapes (pp 397‐398)."
When compared closer we find that:
In Article here (Nr #) In Stone`s Book (Image above with Nr#)
#1 #2
#2 #4
#3 #6
#4 #8
#6 #7
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Stone`s image above contains 8 kukri knifes, five of them have been accounted
for by comparing the photos of the knifes from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
with those originally published by Stone in 1934. Kukri knifes Nr 1, 3 and 5 are
not shown in picture on the MMA Website but maybe one of these that are listed
on the database.
Knife (Kukri) with Sheath, Small Knife, Belt, Pouch and Box
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, wood, leather, quill
Dimensions: (a‐b) L. 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm); (c) L. 6 1/2 in. (16.5); (d) L. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); (e) L.
37 in. (94.0 cm); (f) L. 8 1/4 in. (21.0 cm); (g) L. 5 1/2 in. (14.0 cm)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.826a–g
Very likely Nr. 5 as description matches what we see on Stone`s image.
Knife (Kukri) with Sheath and Pouch with Two Small Knives
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese, Gurkha
Medium: Steel, brass, wood, leather, horn
Dimensions: (a‐b) L. 23 in. (58.4 cm); (c) L. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm); (d) L. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.788a–e
In Stones original image, Kukri nr 1 is described as; “Blade 17,5 inches long,
wooden hilt. Black leather scabbard with pockets for the pouch, small knife with
staghorn handle and one for use as a sharpener.” The description matches that of
Stone and rather likely it is the same Kukri. It would imply that the handle was ca
5,5 inches which would fit its dimensions.
Knife (Kukri)
Date: 19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese, Gurkha
Medium: Steel, wood
Dimensions: L. 18 1/2 in. (47.0 cm)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.830
Which of the remaining two is nr # 3 is difficult to say. Stone only describes it as
“Hilt with a cross guard, probably made for an Englishman to use as a hunting
knife.” It is show without a Sheath and thus rather possible to be the one
described in text above.
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Knife (Kukri) with Sheath
Date: 18th–19th century
Culture: Nepalese
Medium: Wood
Dimensions: L. blade 22 in. (55.9 cm)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.831a, b
The collection spans to cover some other Nepali (Nepalese) Arms & Armour
which include three knifes and a set a Cavalry man in Armour with Bow and
Arrow.
Dagger with Sheath
Date: ca. 1650–1700
Culture: Nepalese
Medium: Ivory, steel, silver
Dimensions: L. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); L. of dagger 13 in. (33 cm)
Classification: Daggers
Credit Line: Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2006
Accession Number: 2006.441a, b
Knife
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Date: 18th–19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, silver, brass
Dimensions: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm); H. of blade 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm); W. 1 3/16 in. (3 cm); Wt. 6.2 oz.
(175.8 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.832
Knife
Date: 18th–19th century
Culture: Indian or Nepalese
Medium: Steel, silver
Dimensions: H. 9 13/16 in. (24.9 cm); H. of blade 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); W. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Wt.
4.3 oz. (121.9 g)
Classification: Knives
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.841
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Armored Cavalryman
Date: 18th–19th century
Culture: Tibetan, and possibly Bhutanese and Nepalese
Medium: Steel, iron, gold, silver, copper alloy, brass, wood, leather, textile, bone, horn, silk, hair,
turquoise, lead
Classification: Archery Equipment
Credit Line: 36.25.2ii, .25, .351, .476, .583a–d, h–k, .2174, .2461, .2505, .2557a, b: Bequest of
George C. Stone, 1935 1997.214.6: Purchase, Rogers Fund and bequest of Stephen V. Grancsay, by
exchange, 1997 2006.269: Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2006. Accession
Number:36.25.25,.28,.351,.476,.583,.842,.2174..
same Image is also found listed under:
Mail Shirt
Date: 17th–19th century
Culture: Tibetan, possibly Bhutanese or Nepalese
Medium: Iron, leather, textile
Dimensions: Wt. 18 lb. 14 oz. (8561.6 g)
Classification: Mail
Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number: 36.25.476
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George Cameron Stone;
“(August 6, 1859 in Geneva, New York – November 18, 1935 in New York City, New York) was a well‐
known American arms collector and author as well as
an American mining engineer and metallurgist. He authored a glossary of the antique weapons of
the world that remains one of the most comprehensive works ever written on the subject.
Early on in his childhood, Stone began to show an interest in weapons. He acquired the first item
with which he started his collection at an auction in New York ‐ a Persian gun ‐ shortly after
graduation. His first published article on weapons in the Magazine of Antique Firearms(1911–
1912) was about a set of rifles, one of which is likely to be said Persian gun.
Stone must have thought rather early about the publication of an arms and armor glossary as his
correspondence with the director of the Peabody Museum in Salem (now: Peabody Essex
Museum), Massachusetts, Lawrence Jenkins (1872–1961) demonstrates as Stone requests images on
a variety of Asian arrows. Stone is furthermore assisted and supported by the respective curators of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bashford Dean (1867–1928) and Dean's successor, Stephen V.
Grancsay (1897–1980). Grancsay assisted Stone especially with regard to European weaponry.
At the time of his death, Stones collection of more than 5.000 items ‐ all of which were stored or
displayed in his house at W. 11th Street in New York. Stone bequeathed approximately 3.500 items
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, of which 360 (non‐oriental) items were transferred to the
Peabody Museum. Stone also bequeathed over 1.400 Japanese sword mountings to the Cooper Union
Museum (now: Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian) in New York, including
600 tsuba.
Stones main source of items for his collection was most like the English dealer of tribal art and
ethnographic materials William Ockelford Oldman, who is known to have provided Stones good
friend Carl Otto von Kienbusch with collectibles. Oldman's practice was to send interesting items to
the collectors who then chose an item and returned the remainder to Oldman.
Due to the position Stone held with the Zinc Company, he was required to frequently travel
throughout the world. Stone used this opportunity to visit arms dealers whenever possible in search
for new items for his collection.” (Wikipedia)
Some items from William Oldman`s Ethnographical Weapons Catalogue, traditional weapons
from Nepal, ca 1900‐1905, London.
Stone`s quote regarding Kukri knifes is still considered one of the best and
frequently used by academia, collectors, traders and others.
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