Mughal style dagger

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

The scenes on both sides of the blade are elephants fighting and tiger hunting deer in koftgari (no brass work). Interesting that before I received it I also thought they are brass work.

The green stones I am pretty sure are glass but the red are rubies and the orange, probably agathe.

Good picture, can you do the same for the other side? Looks to be a technique that is a bit more than koftgari, not sure exactly what you would call it. Is the metal under the carving treated in some way or is it rusted? Very unique, I do not remember seeing a blade made exactly that way before.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by estcrh

Good picture, can you do the same for the other side? Looks to be a technique that is a bit more than koftgari, not sure exactly what you would call it. Very unique, I do not remember seeing a blade treated exactly that way before.

Yes, it is more. Basically the scene was first engraved on the blade, then koftgari was applied.

Cannot send more photos as I am in hospital now... trying to recover from a botched operation for appendicitis.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Yes, it is more. Basically the scene was first engraved on the blade, then koftgari was applied.

Cannot send more photos as I am in hospital now... trying to recover from a botched operation for appendicitis.

Never mind!!!....just get well, health is more important than anything else!!!!

[mariusgmioc]

Any suggestions about its age?

Jens, are you there?

[ariel]

Get well!

[Jens Nordlunde]

Hi Marius,

Speedy recovery:-).

I am no specialist on crystal and jade daggers, so I will not try to guess how old the dagger is, but I have some doubt that it is very old.
A few things worries me, like the ears of the horse, they are very intact, and why would someone remove the green stones and replace them with green glass, and not at the same time remove the rubies, and replace red glass in stead?
I find the way the stones are added somewhat unusual for a high quality Indian dager, why are they not inlaid in the crystal - like they usually are?
Marius, when you are fit again, contact a jeweller, and ask him to measure the hilt and the stones for hardness, as he will be able to tell you if the hilt is rock crystal, if the green 'stones' are glass and if the rubies really are rubies.

There are, no doubt, daggers made a century or more ago, put in an armoury, and never or very seldom used. These daggers will be intact/very close to intact, but I can not judge this from photos.
The chiselling on the blade seems to be very bussy to me, and why did both of us expect the covering metal to be brass?

Sorry I could not be of more help

Jens

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Hi Marius,

Speedy recovery:-).

I am no specialist on crystal and jade daggers, so I will not try to guess how old the dagger is, but I have some doubt that it is very old.
A few things worries me, like the ears of the horse, they are very intact, and why would someone remove the green stones and replace them with green glass, and not at the same time remove the rubies, and replace red glass in stead?
I find the way the stones are added somewhat unusual for a high quality Indian dager, why are they not inlaid in the crystal - like they usually are?
Marius, when you are fit again, contact a jeweller, and ask him to measure the hilt and the stones for hardness, as he will be able to tell you if the hilt is rock crystal, if the green 'stones' are glass and if the rubies really are rubies.

There are, no doubt, daggers made a century or more ago, put in an armoury, and never or very seldom used. These daggers will be intact/very close to intact, but I can not judge this from photos.
The chiselling on the blade seems to be very bussy to me, and why did both of us expect the covering metal to be brass?

Sorry I could not be of more help

Jens

Thank you Jens! That's way more than I have expected.


Regarding the green glass, I believe emeralds were much rarer than rubies and that's why we often see Indian blades adorned with a mixture of gems and glass.

As soon as I will get out of the hospital and be fit enough will have the dagger checked. However, considering the light diffraction through the hilt, I am pretty sure it is rock crystal.