This beautiful dagger was found in the coffin of Princess Ita, daughter of Amenemhat II, together with a collection of jewels that included bracelets, anklets a necklace, and the remains of a belt.
The pommel is in the shape of a light crescent of lapis lazuli. The hilt is beaten gold and is inlaid with disks of lapis lazuli and green feldspar. The disks are inlaid with diagonal crosses of thin gold and between the disks are curvilinear squares inlaid with light brown carnelian.
The elegant bronze blade is mounted in the solid gold shoulder and attached by three gold rivets. The tongue of the bronze blade and the shoulder strap fit exactly into the hilt.
The form of the blade is Phoenician in origin, and the patterns on the handle were common in Crete. It has been suggested that the dagger was imported from Byblos in Phoenicia or from Crete, or was manufactured in Egypt by a foreign craftsman at the royal court.
