Another Dahl

JamesKelly · 25th October 2013, 06:35 PM

The dealer called this an "Indo-Persian dahl circa 1750-1850" Any ideas whether more Indian, or more Persian?
It is 444 mm dia (17-1/2"), 0.80mm (0.0315") thick. Where the rim is riveted on it has a double thickness of 2.36mm (0.093"). All measurements taken in inches.
I had thought about rubbing it with a lemon, or whatever one uses to bring out pattern to find out if it were wootz. But when I examine closely I see some very, very fine scratches like it might have had thin gold applied to it. Using a great deal of imagination I might think I see a gold tint to a few stripes on that tiger in the middle. Or, maybe I drank too much cough syrup. Were all that koftgari still present I suspect I could not have afforded this interesting addition to my walls.
The second picture shows a fight involving an individual with goat horns, ears and beard. I suppose that represents someone of whom the shield maker had a low opinion?
Then there is one with maybe a king, nicely attended by a lady on each side.
And a man riding an elephant.
Do any of these images - like the guy with horns - have a particular ethnic significance?

Runjeet Singh · 25th October 2013, 08:22 PM

Hi James,

The shield in my opinion is Indian, late 19thC.

Your 2nd image shows Hunuman in the centre, the Hindu Deity, who is half man half monkey. The horned beast he is fighting, is probably an evil demon from Hindu mythology. To his right, probably the Hindu goddess Lakshmi (four arms) but could also be a number of other goddess's.

The king, flanked either side by female attendants, seems to be in the pose of the flute playing Hindu god Krishna, and the attendants likely to be his female companions (Gopi's).

It's funny that Hunuman keeps popping up on items of Arms & Armour (I'm sure there is a recent thread). Probably due to his brave and martial character, weapons makers thought it fit to have him feature in their designs.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Runjeet

Robert · 27th October 2013, 01:28 AM

Wonderful shield James and thank you for sharing it with us. Could you possibly post a photo showing the entire piece?

Best,
Robert

JamesKelly · 27th October 2013, 03:59 PM

Thanks for the reminder, Robert. Here are front and back, along with a detail not in my first post.

Iain · 27th October 2013, 04:04 PM

A beautiful piece of work. Thanks for sharing. The amount of time this must have taken the artisan...

How heavy is it? I assume these were essentially parade pieces?

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 27th October 2013, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain

A beautiful piece of work. Thanks for sharing. The amount of time this must have taken the artisan...

How heavy is it? I assume these were essentially parade pieces?

Salaams Iain, The work is done remarkably fast. It employs a technique called spinning which is an old style of lathe application... where a die is rammed into a fast spinning object usually a plate or shield shape... and a cyclic pattern is imprinted on the revolving surface with some weight behind the spinning imprint... using a rudimentary lathe... Spinning. It goes back a long way... 11 th C but also commonly seen in the 19th and 20th. The give away sign is a dot in the centre of the work. The entire pattern can be inscribed or occasionally added decoration can be made by mallet and chisel after the main pattern is rammed home.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

25th October 2013, 06:35 PM	#1
JamesKelly Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Michigan, U.S.A. Posts: 108	Another Dahl The dealer called this an "Indo-Persian dahl circa 1750-1850" Any ideas whether more Indian, or more Persian? It is 444 mm dia (17-1/2"), 0.80mm (0.0315") thick. Where the rim is riveted on it has a double thickness of 2.36mm (0.093"). All measurements taken in inches. I had thought about rubbing it with a lemon, or whatever one uses to bring out pattern to find out if it were wootz. But when I examine closely I see some very, very fine scratches like it might have had thin gold applied to it. Using a great deal of imagination I might think I see a gold tint to a few stripes on that tiger in the middle. Or, maybe I drank too much cough syrup. Were all that koftgari still present I suspect I could not have afforded this interesting addition to my walls. The second picture shows a fight involving an individual with goat horns, ears and beard. I suppose that represents someone of whom the shield maker had a low opinion? Then there is one with maybe a king, nicely attended by a lady on each side. And a man riding an elephant. Do any of these images - like the guy with horns - have a particular ethnic significance? Attached Images

25th October 2013, 08:22 PM	#2
Runjeet Singh Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Warwickshire, England Posts: 150	Hi James, The shield in my opinion is Indian, late 19thC. Your 2nd image shows Hunuman in the centre, the Hindu Deity, who is half man half monkey. The horned beast he is fighting, is probably an evil demon from Hindu mythology. To his right, probably the Hindu goddess Lakshmi (four arms) but could also be a number of other goddess's. The king, flanked either side by female attendants, seems to be in the pose of the flute playing Hindu god Krishna, and the attendants likely to be his female companions (Gopi's). It's funny that Hunuman keeps popping up on items of Arms & Armour (I'm sure there is a recent thread). Probably due to his brave and martial character, weapons makers thought it fit to have him feature in their designs. Hope that helps. Regards, Runjeet Attached Images

27th October 2013, 03:59 PM	#4
JamesKelly Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Michigan, U.S.A. Posts: 108	Thanks for the reminder, Robert. Here are front and back, along with a detail not in my first post. Attached Images

27th October 2013, 01:28 AM	#3
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Wonderful shield James and thank you for sharing it with us. Could you possibly post a photo showing the entire piece? Best, Robert

27th October 2013, 04:04 PM	#5
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,692	A beautiful piece of work. Thanks for sharing. The amount of time this must have taken the artisan... How heavy is it? I assume these were essentially parade pieces?