That Indian Jambiya, restored: For comments

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Gene,

Don’t forget; there has been an intensive trade from the Arabian Peninsula to India, and from India to Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Malaya, Vietnam and other places, like China. This was done by ship and caravan, and from the first centuries if not before. With the trade came the settlers, and with them their influence, when it comes to weapon, art and other things.

Jens

HI Jens,

Of course you are completely right about the cross trade and influence, and I'm sure we've all pondered (and in fact in many cases discussed here) the origins of weapons, their influences and tried to understand the nature of their evolution.
But in this case what has 'struck' me, is that daggers of this shape are usually (in my very limited experience of Arab daggers) quite 'regimented' in their design, following seemingly 'set' rules of design and decoration.
I always assumed that those rules were in part to do with a strict interpretaion of Islamic guidlines on the realistic depiction of living things.
Clearly many strict muslim artists do create designs which follow a foliate or floral theme, but its not usual for the those designs to be 'actual flora' but rather geometric interpretations of their metaphysical inner nature.
So I found myself wondering if this dagger would appeal to Arabic buyers over a more traditional and acceptable alternative.
Which in turn led me to wonder if it was made to cater to a 'home grown' Indian market.
I Don't have Elgood Any chance of a clipped picture?
Many Thanks
Gene