[kronckew]

bought this on a whim. was listed as an old sword hilt, indian seller, from jodhpur in rajasthan.

i assumed it was a modern repro. the decoration appeared crisp and unworn.

package arrived yesterday. hilt was wrapped in bubble wrap, placed inside an old indian gas-mantle tin, which was then wrapped in more bubble wrap, and then sewn into a muslin cover which was then sealed with sealing wax.

anyhow on looking at it , it was apparent it was a tad older than expected. a bit of wear & tear, but the main surprise was that there was a resin filling inside, with a tang shaped hole in it. the brass looks like there was a sword prised out of it. the resin was old, hard and a bit crumbly, but was a reddish translucent material. there was also some pitch based hard resin in spots inside. i heated it in hot water to remove the tarry gunk bits which softened. the tarry gunk that had filled the tigers mouth, ears, and the (rabbit?) prey's legs was pricked out. it now looks a lot better.