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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 38
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This somehow conventional Indian khanjar was sold lately by a well known Italian seller.
But not the item but its history had amazed me. According to the seller's description it is a GIFT OF THE LAST SHOGUN TOKUGAWA IESADA TO THE COMMANDER MATTHEW C. PERRY. The lid with text, chiselled in Japanese, indicating the act of donation from the XIII Shogun Tokugawa Iesada to the Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry in the 1854, to celebrate the Kanagawa Convention, signed by both of them. Another japanese replacement is the painted, porcelain, sphere-shaped pendant. I hope that I made no offence sharing this post, description and pictures with the forumites though unfortunately I'm not the buyer. |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 525
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Nice dagger and I like the symbolism of a sword as a diplomatic gift.
Roland |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 936
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Its a nice Indian Mughal style dagger. Copper kundan is known to be used instead of traditional gold. Jens is an expert in the field, and also has a fine copper kundan dagger, and perhaps will comment on. Also, the hilt contour (and color of jade, if the hilt is jade) does not match the scabbard throat, and could be not original to each other. The work on the scabbard... Asian(?), known to produce Mughal like hilts and daggers.
The writing on the box IMHO is not enough for claimed provenance without solid paper-based evidence. Are there any additional records to support a claim? The box and pendant weaving do not look 19thC to me. The small red stone setting on the scabbard close-up, and "drilled" setting with missed gem on the hilt (and the hilt itself) seem to be off... just a few observations ![]() ... Also, is there a photo of the blade? ... Last edited by ALEX; 20th September 2017 at 07:12 PM. |
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#4 |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,085
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Seems strange that a Japanese Shogun would make a gift of a non-Japanese dagger as a diplomatic offering, especially considering the world renown bladesmithing of the Japanese culture.
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,232
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The workmanship on some scabbard details certainly looks off, as look the calligraphy on the box (the three lines with smaller characters - quite careless work).
And Tokugawa Iesada wasn't the last Shogun. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 1,497
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The workmanship does not look like the quality that a Shogun would send as a gift to an important foreign Diplomatic envoy.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,903
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The history is fascinating but the dagger doesn't appear to live to it.
I find extremely strange that a Japanese shogun will present a foreign dignitary with an Indian dagger. ![]() Why not a Katana or a Tanto. Why not a Japanese fan with cranes a Mt. Fuji, why not some Japanese Maki-e or some Satsuma/Arita/Kutani ceramics? Japanese are deservingly proud of their arts and crafts, so again, why present a foreign dignitary with an Indian dagger?! Last edited by mariusgmioc; 21st September 2017 at 06:37 PM. |
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#8 | |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 525
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But he was the last Shogun with power. After the Meiji-restoration in 1868 the Shogun became politically totally meaningless. A person of honor and well reputation but nothing to say, which tangents the country's fate. Roland |
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#9 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,232
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But if for you a person with the title of Shogun is imaginable in Japan after 1868 as it seems, correct facts are not something you are looking for. |
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#10 | |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 1,497
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The last shogun was Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837–1913), shogun from 1866-1867, the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, he officially gave up the title of shogun in 1867, he was granted the rank of prince in 1902. Last edited by estcrh; 22nd September 2017 at 05:30 PM. |
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#11 | |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 1,497
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The Tokugawa shogunate, which at one time owned vast resources along with being seen as the worlds largest estate as far as land holdings held almost total control over the entire country. In a very short period of time they managed to lose everything. A good lesson for the modern world. |
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