Gold, aluminum, baroque pearl and ruby paper knife, circa 1860

Styled as a Roman dagger, the gold handle decorated with wire-twist and round cabochon rubies, the upper portion set with baroque pearls, the four lobes held within stylized oak leaves, the aluminum blade patterned in gold, length 12½ inches, unsigned. 

This is a rare example of Castellani's use of the newly discovered metal aluminum. This light, grey-white metal, expensive at the time, readily lent itself to inlaid decoration. A similar paper-knife dagger by Castellani is illustrated by G. Munn, Castellani and Giuliano, Revivalist Jewellers of the 19th Century, p. 164, no. 172.