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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
This is really an interesting topic, and as Jens has asked, to research more on the flowers on tulwar hilts. Naturally, the floral designs extend to daggers and sheaths as well.
As I noted in my earlier posts, an interesting article is by Stephan Markel, "Use of Flora and Fauna Imagery in Mughal Decorative Arts" ('Marg', Vol.50, #3, Mar. 1999, pp.25-35).
He notes; "...throughout the Mughal period there were several basic uses of flora and fauna imagery in the decorative arts. First and foremost was adornment for both solely decorative and/or dynastic identifying purposes.
Along with jewellery, dagger and sword hilts, sheath and scabbards were the most prolific court object to be accented with floral imagery". (p.27)
Also noted is that by the end of the Mughal period in the mid 19th c. the dynastic emblem of flowering plants had paled into a repetitive motif less aesthetic than the elegant flowers of the 17th c.
It seems there are considerable 'floral lore' assessments of the symbolism of certain flowers in various religions, which vary in degree but in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, the seems one of the most significant.
In Islam, there is a great deal of aesthetic attention to arrangement of floral and botanicals as the focus on replicating the Gardens of Paradise and their beauty is a key theme. Meanwhile, it does seem that the use of codified representations of certain flowers were dynastic representations.
It would be interesting to discover more on which flowers were indicative of which dynasty and how they were portrayed in various regions or periods.
There is mention of 'Mughalization' of Hindu forms of flower in some cases.
It seems less likely for talismanic application in most cases, as most of what is described seems to refer to aesthetic floral themes in favored arrangements and certain codification probably aligned with dynastic favor of those themes.
In the case of the interior of the pommel discs, it seems these motif may be themed after certain solar or celestial subjects, but can be floral as well.
I am curious if these follow the theme of the hilt or can differ.
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Hello Jim, Your detailed post is well accepted and hopefully the Talismanic values of the floral artwork can be realized. The fact that the sword of Dara Shikoh can reveal something interesting in that regard could be interesting... though in fact what he was trying to do ... and the main reason that Aurangezeb was able to have him executed was tied up to the Mystic situation and where Dara Shikoh attempting to link Islam with Hinduism. That in itself may yield the answers we seek. In other words; Is that what floral decoration was meant to secretly represent? I realize that this is somewhat hypothetical but it may be what everyone is missing.
Did his detractors miss the point in gold painting out any written references (Artistic impression in Islam to them meant the written word and pure geometry only) whilst not seeing the artwork as important?...Perhaps representing to Dara Shikoh the joining of two great religions. Is this possibly what the smokescreen of floral design came to represent?
If he had somehow survived it can be imagined how different history would have been.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.