Significance of Beaded Edges/Borders on South Indian Weapons?

Nihl · 14th March 2019, 01:29 AM

Popping in again to give my 2 cents on what's being talked about.
Personally, I'm rather satisfied with the link to old decorative forms. As uninteresting as it may be, I concede that it does make the most sense. That said, I must raise the question as to what these beads or more broadly what necklaces or similarly decorated accessories meant in old Indian culture. A purely decorative motif is one thing, but when it's applied to humans all the time one (or at least I) can't help but think at some point it was given some sort of meaning. Another question - if the beaded edge (in A&A) is such a decorative motif, why is it not seen more frequently in status pieces (the belongings of royalty and so forth) and why are these beads not separately or distinctly decorated? My memory may be failing me on the former point, so feel free to post "museum quality" examples of beaded hilts and prove me wrong, but I can't recall the last time I saw a beaded hilt with any real fancy decoration. From what I can recall most extent hilts are either undecorated metal or covered in unbroken sheets of precious metal, instead of say, being decorated with koftgari in a manner separate from the rest of the hilt (gold covered beads but silver hilt, for example) or having actual jewels inlaid in the beads. Again, maybe there are some examples out there, but I at least can't remember seeing any. I guess I'm actually not fully satisfied with the beads being decorative just yet

Also don't want to distract from the latest topic of "why beads?", but I personally have nothing to add to that.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 14th March 2019, 01:49 AM

I have to point out that none of the references are actually beads. They are domes ...Doming is a jewellery metalworking technique where half round shapes are produced in a cube shaped brass former so these decorative shapes although possibly thought of as beads are not... The Ceramic tile pre Islamic Iranian and the weapons and the jewellery all illustrate this technique. Heres a gold addition from Hindu Jewellery making ...

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 21st March 2019, 12:31 PM

A South India weapon with the raised dot form under the handguard at the throat...

Nihl · 24th March 2019, 07:23 PM

Did some looking, found an example from the 16th century of an Indian dagger with what looks like beading on the inside of a vegetal motif. Might just have been used to give the plants texture...

14th March 2019, 01:49 AM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	I have to point out that none of the references are actually beads. They are domes ...Doming is a jewellery metalworking technique where half round shapes are produced in a cube shaped brass former so these decorative shapes although possibly thought of as beads are not... The Ceramic tile pre Islamic Iranian and the weapons and the jewellery all illustrate this technique. Heres a gold addition from Hindu Jewellery making ... Attached Images

21st March 2019, 12:31 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	A South India weapon with the raised dot form under the handguard at the throat... Attached Images

24th March 2019, 07:23 PM	#4
Nihl Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 90	Did some looking, found an example from the 16th century of an Indian dagger with what looks like beading on the inside of a vegetal motif. Might just have been used to give the plants texture... Attached Images

14th March 2019, 01:29 AM	#1
Nihl Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 90	Popping in again to give my 2 cents on what's being talked about. Personally, I'm rather satisfied with the link to old decorative forms. As uninteresting as it may be, I concede that it does make the most sense. That said, I must raise the question as to what these beads or more broadly what necklaces or similarly decorated accessories meant in old Indian culture. A purely decorative motif is one thing, but when it's applied to humans all the time one (or at least I) can't help but think at some point it was given some sort of meaning. Another question - if the beaded edge (in A&A) is such a decorative motif, why is it not seen more frequently in status pieces (the belongings of royalty and so forth) and why are these beads not separately or distinctly decorated? My memory may be failing me on the former point, so feel free to post "museum quality" examples of beaded hilts and prove me wrong, but I can't recall the last time I saw a beaded hilt with any real fancy decoration. From what I can recall most extent hilts are either undecorated metal or covered in unbroken sheets of precious metal, instead of say, being decorated with koftgari in a manner separate from the rest of the hilt (gold covered beads but silver hilt, for example) or having actual jewels inlaid in the beads. Again, maybe there are some examples out there, but I at least can't remember seeing any. I guess I'm actually not fully satisfied with the beads being decorative just yet Also don't want to distract from the latest topic of "why beads?", but I personally have nothing to add to that.