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?

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?