ID help requested

[archer]

Hi sorry for the screen shots but originals were too large. Can anyone tell me the Culture and Era of this Crude, Grimy, and perhaps Lewd Khanjar? It won't be here for awhile and I'm anxious to sort out it's origins. Thank you, Steve

Just noticed a photo that calls the quillion bits lotus buds.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by archer

Hi sorry for the screen shots but originals were too large. Can anyone tell me the Culture and Era of this Crude, Grimy, and perhaps Lewd Khanjar? It won't be here for awhile and I'm anxious to sort out it's origins. Thank you, Steve

Just noticed a photo that calls the quillion bits lotus buds.

Salaams Archer, The weapon appears to be an Indian Khanjar of early form possibly 16thC. and of recurved blade form. According to the Met museum the earliest Khanjars appeared in about the 16thC in India. This one seems to be in that time bracket.

Lotus being the National flower of India occurs across the broad design concept including architecture and decoration of everything imaginable and I include Lotus decoration on the Taj Mahal as well as on a host of Indian weapons. The Lotus is included in paintings on many of the Hindu Deities and is a powerful ancient part of their religious belief and is a powerful weapon psychologically etc. See the Hindu God Ghanesh below holding weapons and the Padma or Lotus Blossom.

Lotus quillons are present on swords and daggers and I found many as terminals on knuckleguards. There are other places which the Lotus appears and one at the end of the scabbard is often forgotten however here it is~ the bud at the end of the scabbard on~AN IVORY-HILTED DAGGER (KHANJARLI) AND SILVER SCABBARD, SOUTH INDIA, EARLY 18TH CENTURY.

(The curved double-edged watered-steel blade chiseled with central ridge and Yalis flanking the forte, curved steel knuckle guard terminating in a dragon’s head, ivory hilt in four parts secured with gold rosette pins terminating in a bifurcated pommel, the silver scabbard engraved with designs of scrolling vegetation, birds and stylised flowers, with bud finial.)

Other examples are illustrated with Lotus Buds as Knuckle Guard terminals on swords of the region.

Finally the example of decoration on Indian Architecture is the Lotus Bud painting on the Taj Mahal which you may have noticed also incorporates a Trident! also carried by the God Ghanesh.

[archer]

Salaams Ibrahiim, Thank you for your response and the information. Robert Elgood in Hindu Arms And Ritual, shows a faint dagger outline on a stone carved statue. The hilt is bent to the side and asymetrical in nature. He mentions that the balanced upper pommels were used to seeing come from the North while one dagger of a later date remains in Tanjore Museum. Does anyone have a photo of that dagger or know how to contact the museum staff? Thanks Steve

Maybe the white 9 means it isn't there now!