Enamel hilt - age and place

Jens Nordlunde · 3rd April 2006, 04:26 PM

Hi Jim, thank you for your answer. The Sanskrit letter on the back of the blade stands for Kha, Ka or K. The reason why I think it could come from an armoury is, that I have seen another blade with the same mark but with number 67 on it, and I doubt that a weapon smith would have numbered the blades he made.

The enamel work as such is fascinating, when you imagine the crude tools they had, the furnaces they used, and the fantastic work they made. The fact that many could not make the past they used, and had to buy it from Luchnow, without getting the same results must be due to the heating – or maybe to what they used for heating, so maybe the smoke could make a difference how the colours showed in the end.

The underside of the disc is a puzzle, and although I am no specialist I don’t think it has been made by the same one who made the rest, not only due to the colours, but I think the whole design looks different. But why was this very nice, but different, decoration ‘hidden’ under the disc, a place where no one but the owner would see it?

Battara - all the best wishes with the owen, and please let us know how it turns out. Maybe, like I wrote, that what you use for heating could make a difference on the colours, but I expect that you will only have one possibility - right?

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3rd April 2006, 04:26 PM	#21
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Jim, thank you for your answer. The Sanskrit letter on the back of the blade stands for Kha, Ka or K. The reason why I think it could come from an armoury is, that I have seen another blade with the same mark but with number 67 on it, and I doubt that a weapon smith would have numbered the blades he made. The enamel work as such is fascinating, when you imagine the crude tools they had, the furnaces they used, and the fantastic work they made. The fact that many could not make the past they used, and had to buy it from Luchnow, without getting the same results must be due to the heating – or maybe to what they used for heating, so maybe the smoke could make a difference how the colours showed in the end. The underside of the disc is a puzzle, and although I am no specialist I don’t think it has been made by the same one who made the rest, not only due to the colours, but I think the whole design looks different. But why was this very nice, but different, decoration ‘hidden’ under the disc, a place where no one but the owner would see it? Battara - all the best wishes with the owen, and please let us know how it turns out. Maybe, like I wrote, that what you use for heating could make a difference on the colours, but I expect that you will only have one possibility - right?