A miniature khanjar

Yvain · 18th June 2020, 10:54 PM

Hi everyone !

I’ve had this miniature khanjar for quite some time, and I still can’t figure exactly what it is, any help would thus be welcome !

It does show some age, there is spots of black corrosion on the blade, the ivory is a little yellowed and shows some cracks, and the scabbard, originally covered in purple velvet, is now extremely worn, the original color being visible only under the scabbard chape, and inside the scabbard itself.

It seems (to my untrained eyes) relatively well made, the ivory hilt is nicely shaped, and the blade shows a nice, regular shape, with fullers on both side, and even one on its thick spine. It looks like it was originally highly polished (you can still see this in the fullers), but it was roughly cleaned later in its life. The fittings seems to be made of generic white metal.

It does seems like a miniature version however, as the whole thing is approximately 26cm long sheathed, the hilt being 9,3cm, and the blade roughly 14,2cm.

Any idea of what it is exactly, why was it made and when and where ? I’m thinking beginning of the XXth century as a high end souvenir (maybe in India), but I honestly have no clue.

Thanks in advance for your help !

(And as a sidenote, I bought it at a flea market from someone who didn’t even knew it was ivory, so no worry, even if its rather recent, I didn’t send money directly in the poachers pockets.)

Yvain · 19th June 2020, 07:47 PM

Here is a picture of me holding it, if that can help. As you can see, it is indeed on the small size, and I have rather small hands myself.

Let me know if you need any additional information or measurements !

Kubur · 20th June 2020, 09:41 AM

Hi Yvain

It's not miniature to me.
I have a miniature khanjar:6cm!
This is small and I like it.
You are right the scabbard looks Northern Indian around 1900, maybe a bit before.
Overall the hilt and blade are very nice and i have absolutely no idea where your dagger comes from!!

Yvain · 20th June 2020, 12:31 PM

Hi Kubur,

Thanks a lot, that's way more information than I was able to find on my own !

Your comment regarding the fact that it is just a small khanjar, and not a miniature one is very interesting ! What would have been the use of such a small knife ? Souvenir, presentation piece, or something else ?

Anyway, I now at least have some leads to try and find more information about it, so thanks again !

(And I'm glad to hear that it is somewhat old, I know next to nothing about Indian weapons and I feared that it might be a recent piece !)

18th June 2020, 10:54 PM	#1
Yvain Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: France Posts: 178	A miniature khanjar Hi everyone ! I’ve had this miniature khanjar for quite some time, and I still can’t figure exactly what it is, any help would thus be welcome ! It does show some age, there is spots of black corrosion on the blade, the ivory is a little yellowed and shows some cracks, and the scabbard, originally covered in purple velvet, is now extremely worn, the original color being visible only under the scabbard chape, and inside the scabbard itself. It seems (to my untrained eyes) relatively well made, the ivory hilt is nicely shaped, and the blade shows a nice, regular shape, with fullers on both side, and even one on its thick spine. It looks like it was originally highly polished (you can still see this in the fullers), but it was roughly cleaned later in its life. The fittings seems to be made of generic white metal. It does seems like a miniature version however, as the whole thing is approximately 26cm long sheathed, the hilt being 9,3cm, and the blade roughly 14,2cm. Any idea of what it is exactly, why was it made and when and where ? I’m thinking beginning of the XXth century as a high end souvenir (maybe in India), but I honestly have no clue. Thanks in advance for your help ! (And as a sidenote, I bought it at a flea market from someone who didn’t even knew it was ivory, so no worry, even if its rather recent, I didn’t send money directly in the poachers pockets.) Attached Images

19th June 2020, 07:47 PM	#2
Yvain Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: France Posts: 178	Here is a picture of me holding it, if that can help. As you can see, it is indeed on the small size, and I have rather small hands myself. Let me know if you need any additional information or measurements ! Attached Images

20th June 2020, 09:41 AM	#3
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Hi Yvain It's not miniature to me. I have a miniature khanjar:6cm! This is small and I like it. You are right the scabbard looks Northern Indian around 1900, maybe a bit before. Overall the hilt and blade are very nice and i have absolutely no idea where your dagger comes from!!

20th June 2020, 12:31 PM	#4
Yvain Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: France Posts: 178	Hi Kubur, Thanks a lot, that's way more information than I was able to find on my own ! Your comment regarding the fact that it is just a small khanjar, and not a miniature one is very interesting ! What would have been the use of such a small knife ? Souvenir, presentation piece, or something else ? Anyway, I now at least have some leads to try and find more information about it, so thanks again ! (And I'm glad to hear that it is somewhat old, I know next to nothing about Indian weapons and I feared that it might be a recent piece !)