Indian sword with strange markings for comment

[Drabant1701]

Originally Posted by ariel

Elgood, in his most recent book about Jodhpur armory has a special chapter about the umbrella mark.
They were put left and right to signify royal ownership, with which they had nothing in common. They might have been put later in sword’s life, but also by the original master. In retrospect, such forgeries are benign, silly and naive, and just add some human touch. I would not hesitate to hang this sword on my wall.
And overall, it is a very fine sword.

Thank you, Ariel for your comment, as always much appreciated.
Personally the most enjoyable part of collecting ethnographic antiques is the hours of research I get from almost every item I purchase. Most things I will eventually find in my books or on the Internet. But then there are things like this strange mark. And the ring of dots. Why? At some point I accept that at this point in time there is no answer and move on. I do however always enjoy the journey.

I also found a sword with similar fabric on the handle. That one is a documented battle sword, maybe it served to better the grip during battle