Now to the Swami jewelry. It is an Anglo-Indian hybrid style of jewelry that flourished from the middle of the 19 c. into the early 20 c. It was created mainly by P. Orr and Sons of Madras, Tamil Nadu. The local term “swami” means “god or goddess” and refers to the ornamentation of these pieces with images of the deities of Hindu pantheon. All of them were created in silver (sometimes gilt) or gold in the same technique as the dagger’s handle, i.e. cast and chased. Orr also manufactured dessert services, trays, spoons, presentation objects, etc with Indian motifs. All were essentially oriented towards Westerners. Below are some examples (alas, no Lakshmi among them…)
To me this dagger looks like a custom order made to Orr’s manufacture, but it is only a theory, of course…
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