Lawrence of Arabia's dagger for sale: £90,000

The dagger handed to Lawrence of Arabia after the capture of Aqaba, and made famous by actor Omar Sharif on the big screen, is to be sold at auction.

The dagger, the only one of Lawrence's three Arabian blades known to survive in private hands, is to be sold by Christie's for an estimated £90,000.

The sale will take place just days after the death of Sharif, aged 83, was announced. The actor played Sherif Ali in the film of Lawrence of Arabia, assisting Peter O'Toole in the capture of Aqaba before presenting the dagger.

_{The ornate silver-gilt mounted Arab Jambiya dagger}

In reality, the ornate dagger was given to T E Lawrence by Sherif Nasir, a real-life Arab leader who attacked Aqaba, and on whom the fictional Sherif Ali was partly based.

The dagger, described as a silver-gilt with curved blade, 30cm-long, was left in the keeping of Lady Kathleen Scott, widow of Scott of the Antarctic and later Lady Kennet, who sculpted Lawrence in February 1921.

Following the sitting, the explorer left his daggers and robes to allow her to perfect the finished work while he sailed to Cairo.

_{T. E. Lawrence}

He did not return to retrieve his belongings, with the items remaining in the family ever since.

They are now to be sold by the estate of Lady Kennet following her death.

The dagger will be sold on July 15, at the Valuable Books and Manuscripts Sale at Christie's, London, with an estimate of £60,000 - £90,000.