Ornate "Dague De Vertue", "Dague de "Pute", Women's self-defense dagger, France, mid-19th C. Very high quality and richly decorated dagger. The wavy steel blade. The figured guard of silver-plated brass. The spiral-shaped handle is made of nacre, leather sheath with silver-plated fittings (the lower part of the sheath is missing, see photo). In fact, they were also used by middle-class and high-status women. Length 23 cm.