Child's katar decorated in gold

laEspadaAncha · 19th July 2010, 08:35 PM

I recently picked this up from someone here in San Diego. I had met him several months ago, but he wasn't ready to sell it for what I was willing to pay. When it comes to Indian arms, I generally try to focus on South Indian gear, but at the price we agreed upon, I couldn't pass it up. A similar one sold at auction in Timonium this year.

I believe it to be a child's katar - at least this is how Cole & Co. (Auctions Imperial) described their own at auction. The entire guard is decorated in gold gilt. Also has its original scabbard (black canvas with tracings of purple dyed felt), though its condition is not as nice as the katar. OAL is a scant 9 3/4 inches / 25 cm, with a +/- 5 1/2 inch blade. Pictured below with a (what I've always considered to be a more "normal"-sized) Tanjore katar for comparison.

So I figured late 19th C... thoughts?

Lew · 19th July 2010, 10:30 PM

Very nice. It does seem to be made for a boy.

Congrats

laEspadaAncha · 20th July 2010, 01:23 AM

Thanks, Lew... I found my archived copy of the lot description. It was lot 238, described as follows:

"Second quarter of the 19th century. Overall length 33.3 cm. The sons of Indian nobility received training in arms and horsemanship from a very young age and not infrequently did to battle alongside their fathers with arms scaled to suit them."

Fairly similar in form to the one I acquired (though a couple inches longer in OAL). Here's a photo of the one from the auction:

Lew · 20th July 2010, 03:24 AM

Funny That katar resurfaced on ebay a few weeks ago but I did not get it.

The style seems to be one I often see on the bay and I think these are late 19th century. Yours seems older to me than 238.

laEspadaAncha · 20th July 2010, 03:53 AM

No kiddin'? If you still have it on your watch list & can post a link to the listing or PM me the item number, I'd appreciate it - I would be curious to see what it went for compared to its hammer price at AI.

Lew · 20th July 2010, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laEspadaAncha

No kiddin'? If you still have it on your watch list & can post a link to the listing or PM me the item number, I'd appreciate it - I would be curious to see what it went for compared to its hammer price at AI.

Read it and weep

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEDWX:IT

laEspadaAncha · 20th July 2010, 04:55 AM

Interesting - that's just about what the hammer price was at AI. Thanks for posting that, Lew...

archer · 23rd July 2010, 02:09 AM

Nice Katar, what is the width between the guards? This one I thought was tiny
and perhaps if not for a boy, maybe a woman at court. Pant mentions, that kards were also used by women. This one is 1 7/8" between the guards, 13" OAL with a 7 1/4" blade. My XX glove size dwarfs this hilt. realizing that some Indian groups are very fine boned, I still find this grip very small for use. Lew I also bid on the one you cited. Steve

laEspadaAncha · 23rd July 2010, 04:09 AM

Hi Steve,

Nice example you have there...

Interesting you mention the use by women, as my own is a perfect fit in my own wife's hand (she thinks she's Jhansi Ki Rani, and was pretty tickled to handle one of my weapons that fit her so well). To answer your question, the width measures 2 3/8 inches in between the guards (at the grip).

Rgds,

Chris

19th July 2010, 08:35 PM	#1
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Child's katar decorated in gold I recently picked this up from someone here in San Diego. I had met him several months ago, but he wasn't ready to sell it for what I was willing to pay. When it comes to Indian arms, I generally try to focus on South Indian gear, but at the price we agreed upon, I couldn't pass it up. A similar one sold at auction in Timonium this year. I believe it to be a child's katar - at least this is how Cole & Co. (Auctions Imperial) described their own at auction. The entire guard is decorated in gold gilt. Also has its original scabbard (black canvas with tracings of purple dyed felt), though its condition is not as nice as the katar. OAL is a scant 9 3/4 inches / 25 cm, with a +/- 5 1/2 inch blade. Pictured below with a (what I've always considered to be a more "normal"-sized) Tanjore katar for comparison. So I figured late 19th C... thoughts?

23rd July 2010, 02:09 AM	#8
archer Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 373	Boys mid sized, maybe Nice Katar, what is the width between the guards? This one I thought was tiny and perhaps if not for a boy, maybe a woman at court. Pant mentions, that kards were also used by women. This one is 1 7/8" between the guards, 13" OAL with a 7 1/4" blade. My XX glove size dwarfs this hilt. realizing that some Indian groups are very fine boned, I still find this grip very small for use. Lew I also bid on the one you cited. Steve Attached Images

23rd July 2010, 04:09 AM	#9
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Hi Steve, Nice example you have there... Interesting you mention the use by women, as my own is a perfect fit in my own wife's hand (she thinks she's Jhansi Ki Rani, and was pretty tickled to handle one of my weapons that fit her so well). To answer your question, the width measures 2 3/8 inches in between the guards (at the grip). Rgds, Chris Last edited by laEspadaAncha; 23rd July 2010 at 04:14 AM. Reason: So my wife doesn't stab me with my own katar for misspelling her childhood hero's name

19th July 2010, 10:30 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Very nice. It does seem to be made for a boy. Congrats

20th July 2010, 01:23 AM	#3
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Thanks, Lew... I found my archived copy of the lot description. It was lot 238, described as follows: "Second quarter of the 19th century. Overall length 33.3 cm. The sons of Indian nobility received training in arms and horsemanship from a very young age and not infrequently did to battle alongside their fathers with arms scaled to suit them." Fairly similar in form to the one I acquired (though a couple inches longer in OAL). Here's a photo of the one from the auction:

20th July 2010, 03:24 AM	#4
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Funny That katar resurfaced on ebay a few weeks ago but I did not get it. The style seems to be one I often see on the bay and I think these are late 19th century. Yours seems older to me than 238.

20th July 2010, 03:53 AM	#5
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	No kiddin'? If you still have it on your watch list & can post a link to the listing or PM me the item number, I'd appreciate it - I would be curious to see what it went for compared to its hammer price at AI.

20th July 2010, 04:55 AM	#7
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Interesting - that's just about what the hammer price was at AI. Thanks for posting that, Lew...