Your thoughts on the origins of this piece? Hindustan?

Jim McDougall · 9th July 2011, 04:08 PM

For the "Antiques Roadshow" viewers, we need to try to establish where exactly 'Hindustan' actually is or what region it might refer to. Apparantly the word is comprised from Persian terms 'Hindu' (from 'Sindhu' the orig name of the Indus River in India) and 'stan' (Pers.=land). In modern Persian the word Hindustan refers to the subcontinent of India overall.
It is difficult to determine exactly how the term is applied as it is a term used for South Asia in some cases, in Brittanica they define it to primarily North India as opposed to the Deccan (central) and South India. As can be seen by the attached map, in the early 19th century, the term was applied to the whole of India.

Trying to assess the specific geographic region of provenance for this interesting item which is clearly commercially intended and not that old is a challenge at best, and an interesting converse exercise using what we know of ethnographic weapons decoration to consider same on a non weapon.

Without deeper research, the figures remind me of the style seen on tourist oriented pieces from Southern areas of India if recalled correctly, and think some clues might appear in Robert Elgood's "Hindu Arms and Ritual".

Interesting

9th July 2011, 04:08 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	For the "Antiques Roadshow" viewers, we need to try to establish where exactly 'Hindustan' actually is or what region it might refer to. Apparantly the word is comprised from Persian terms 'Hindu' (from 'Sindhu' the orig name of the Indus River in India) and 'stan' (Pers.=land). In modern Persian the word Hindustan refers to the subcontinent of India overall. It is difficult to determine exactly how the term is applied as it is a term used for South Asia in some cases, in Brittanica they define it to primarily North India as opposed to the Deccan (central) and South India. As can be seen by the attached map, in the early 19th century, the term was applied to the whole of India. Trying to assess the specific geographic region of provenance for this interesting item which is clearly commercially intended and not that old is a challenge at best, and an interesting converse exercise using what we know of ethnographic weapons decoration to consider same on a non weapon. Without deeper research, the figures remind me of the style seen on tourist oriented pieces from Southern areas of India if recalled correctly, and think some clues might appear in Robert Elgood's "Hindu Arms and Ritual". Interesting Attached Images