Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 29th October 2016, 08:11 PM

Excellent images Ibrahiim! Thank you.
As I look at these, I can visualize the many incredible hilts of the swords in Jens' collection as shown in his magnificent new catalog.

As Jens has asked for us to join in his long standing research on the floral imagery on tulwar hilts, I wanted to add some material I had found on Mughal hilt decoration.

In " The Use of Flora and Fauna Imagery in Mughal Decorative Arts" by Stephen Markel ('Marg' magazine, Vol.50 #3, Mar. 1999) it is noted that
"...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."

It is noted that dagger and sword hilts, sheaths and scabbards were the most prolifically decorated. The hilts were designed with floral and vegetal forms, raised or inlaid poppy plants or other flowers or terminating in floral shapes. Single buds were most favored terminals at end of knuckleguard.

Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58) used floral imagery codifying flowering plants as dynastic leitmotif and this practice endured for two centuries.

By the end of the Mughal period in mid 19th c these dynastic emblems of flowering plants had paled into a repetitive motif far less aesthetic than the elegant representations of the 17th c.

These notes from Markel's excellent article suggest that with the Mughal sphere, the choices for floral imagery was at least in large degree to represent their dynastic symbolism.

Perhaps these identifications of the flowers represented might assist in dating a hilt, not only by the flower represented, but the character and quality of its presentation .

In the case of Rajput or Sikh examples, these might align with either Hindu floral motif, which I believe was more aligned religiously in character, though it would seem that motifs often transcended deeper symbolisms in being copied aesthetically in other contexts. With that being the case, the Mughal decoration may well have been found in these also.

Having noted these aspects, what needs to be discovered and categorized is the nature of depictions of various flower and vegetal motif, and if possible any provenance which might place them in certain contexts.

29th October 2016, 08:11 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	Excellent images Ibrahiim! Thank you. As I look at these, I can visualize the many incredible hilts of the swords in Jens' collection as shown in his magnificent new catalog. As Jens has asked for us to join in his long standing research on the floral imagery on tulwar hilts, I wanted to add some material I had found on Mughal hilt decoration. In " The Use of Flora and Fauna Imagery in Mughal Decorative Arts" by Stephen Markel ('Marg' magazine, Vol.50 #3, Mar. 1999) it is noted that "...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." It is noted that dagger and sword hilts, sheaths and scabbards were the most prolifically decorated. The hilts were designed with floral and vegetal forms, raised or inlaid poppy plants or other flowers or terminating in floral shapes. Single buds were most favored terminals at end of knuckleguard. Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58) used floral imagery codifying flowering plants as dynastic leitmotif and this practice endured for two centuries. By the end of the Mughal period in mid 19th c these dynastic emblems of flowering plants had paled into a repetitive motif far less aesthetic than the elegant representations of the 17th c. These notes from Markel's excellent article suggest that with the Mughal sphere, the choices for floral imagery was at least in large degree to represent their dynastic symbolism. Perhaps these identifications of the flowers represented might assist in dating a hilt, not only by the flower represented, but the character and quality of its presentation . In the case of Rajput or Sikh examples, these might align with either Hindu floral motif, which I believe was more aligned religiously in character, though it would seem that motifs often transcended deeper symbolisms in being copied aesthetically in other contexts. With that being the case, the Mughal decoration may well have been found in these also. Having noted these aspects, what needs to be discovered and categorized is the nature of depictions of various flower and vegetal motif, and if possible any provenance which might place them in certain contexts.