Help with identifying a pair of pattas (gauntlet swords)!

[manishkulkarni]

Hello All,

I'm a real newbie to antique swords and never intended to be a collector - it just happened! Most of what I've collected is over 2018, it all started from a Firangi. I was born and brought up in Mumbai, the state of Maharashtra which was the home of the great Maratha empire and it's talismanic leader King Shivaji Maharaj. I share the same mother tongue Marathi, so there was a natural affinity to Maratha swords; however, my main focus is on collecting swords from the British Raj era - anything that was manufactured or retailed in India. Can't explain why I feel so emotional about it, but it's a fascinating link to the legacy of how India as a nation shaped up! My aim is to collect from every retailer from the Raj times - I currently have swords from Manton & Co, Rankin & Com, Walter Locke & Co and Harman & Co. Below is a snap of the rack I built just a few months ago!

Now on to my question - I've recently acquired two beautiful pattas at an auction, again something very Maratha and I'd been on the look out for a long time! The question is - can anybody guess the approximate period, and equally importantly, the area/kingdom where these might have originated? The elephant and tiger styling probably ought to be unique to a particular princely state/kingdom, although I've seen tiger shaped patta examples before.

What's also interesting is that both hilts are rather small, even for an India hand. I've a relatively small hand/palm and I can just about get through the forearm protector, and it all fits really snugly. Could it be for boy/teenager or perhaps man of small stature - certainly smallish hands! My friends can't even get their hands through to the grip.

Any help with the identification, I'd be eternally grateful!

Regards,
Manish