[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by RobertGuy

Hello all, this is my first post here and thought I would share , and ask some questions about, a recently purchased Indian Dhal. Purchased from the world's favourite auction site, the seller described it as:

''Old mughal Dhal with religious? Chiselwork/Engravings.Very nice piece and in good condition. Probably from 1800s maybe earlier. Solid shield.''

I suspect it is late 1800s or even more recent rather than earlier. The shield is steel, 12.25 inches in diameter and weighs 2 lbs. The reverse is covered in blue cloth. I have made my own leather cushion and straps to make it a functional piece. I have posted on other forums but I am getting nowhere with the script on the shield which I think is Hindi (but could be any sub-continent language or even Arabic.) I have tried to separate out the script to make it clearer and would be very grateful if anybody here can translate the panels. They might of course just be decorative panels with no meaning. Thanks in advance for any help or opinions.

Salaams RobertGuy...May we see the business end front of this shield...It may offer clues... Meanwhile the Hindu Script which may be upside down arabic ...we will have a look at...
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.