Description

A very large presentation khukurī. Humungus, heavy blade. The spine is engraved on both sides with a stylized creeper design. The bolster is made of brass, the hilt of buffalo horn. It has a brass engraved pommel cap

The scabbard is made of wood, covered with red velvet. On the back it has compartments for the karda (small knife) and cakmak (flint striker), both still present. The karda is somewhat khukurī shaped. It also has a khisā made of the same velvet as the scabbard covering. At the scabbard end is a brass chape.

Inscriptions

The blade is inscribed on both sides of the blade.

Right side:

PRESENTD TO
GRAF VON ELTZ

Left side:

MADE IN NEPAL
SUNDARIJAL ARSENAL

"Sundarijal Arsenal"

Located about 15 km from Kathmandu, the Sundarijal Arsenal was and is Nepal's main military arsenal. It produced small arms, including the "Sundarijal rifle", and ammunition. There are also barracks and a detention center. It is still in operation to this day.

"Graf von Elz"

This is Johann Jakob Eltz (1921-2006), a Croatian count. Under communist rule, the family estates were seized. Johann Jakob Eltz went to Germany to study agronomics and run a family wine estate before becoming a professor of viticulture at Mainz University. In 1991, he was appointed by the Croatian President as honorary representative of the Republic of Croatia in Bonn. He was known to speak six languages.

Johann Jakob Elz
Portrait by Erich Naimann, 1989
 

He inherited the beautiful family estate Eltz Castle in Rheinland-Pfalz. Its foundations date from before 1157. 

 Eltz Castle

After Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 he returned to the country and began reconstructing its government. War broke out that year and his place of residence, Yukovar, was attacked by heavily armed Serbs. Despite being 70 years old by now, he took up arms himself to defend the city. His family manor, Elz Manor, was destroyed, and the family tomb was desecrated.

He was very popular among the people and was elected as an independent candidate for Vukovar in the Croatian parliament in 1992. He also became a member of the Council of Europe and promoted Croatia's case to join the European Union. After his retirement in 1999 he was asked to remain as an honorary member. He passed away in 206 in Eltville, Germany.

Nepal established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Croatia on February 6, 1998. Johann Jakob Eltz may have gotten the khukurī around then from a Nepalese delegation.