An Big and Heavy Katar

Nihl · 18th November 2022, 03:47 PM

Hi Dralin. To me I would have to agree with the first attribution you were provided. This katar looks like it is maybe a late 18th or early 19th century reproduction of the famous "hooded katar" that hails from south india, most famously used by the vijayanagar empire. Because it lacks much of the intricate decoration found on actual hooded katar, I would guess it was made somewhere in north india instead of in the south. The beaded edges on your katar, to my eyes, look very similar to the way beading was done on late 18th/early 19th century rajput hilts. The fact that the langets also end in an abstract, idiosyncratic, palmette-esque design cements the idea to me that this katar is a unique one-off piece, probably made by someone unfamiliar with traditional southern styles, instead of being created in any of the numerous regional production centers in the south.

18th November 2022, 03:47 PM	#2
Nihl Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 87	Hi Dralin. To me I would have to agree with the first attribution you were provided. This katar looks like it is maybe a late 18th or early 19th century reproduction of the famous "hooded katar" that hails from south india, most famously used by the vijayanagar empire. Because it lacks much of the intricate decoration found on actual hooded katar, I would guess it was made somewhere in north india instead of in the south. The beaded edges on your katar, to my eyes, look very similar to the way beading was done on late 18th/early 19th century rajput hilts. The fact that the langets also end in an abstract, idiosyncratic, palmette-esque design cements the idea to me that this katar is a unique one-off piece, probably made by someone unfamiliar with traditional southern styles, instead of being created in any of the numerous regional production centers in the south.