Parrying dagger (pugnale bolognese), ca. 1550–75; Italian. Partly gilt steel, brass & wood. Designed to be used together with a rapier, this dagger is fitted with a side ring, recurved quillons & a depression at the base of one side of the blade to accommodate the thumb and facilitate a firmer grip. The waves in the blade may be intended to act like "speed bumps" in breaking the impact of a blow from an opponent's blade. The piercing of the fullers (grooves) is decorative.
