What a history

[mariusgmioc]

Hi Alex,
It is an Indian dagger all right. I don't discern any Japanese style/influence. Not even the small painted ball (which looks more Chinese to me).

I also got asimilar dagger but without such a history... and price tag. The red stones are rubies, the orange, agathes and the green... glass. For my knife, the ruby eyes are mounted in gold... while for the "shogunal gift" ... I'm not so sure...

[estcrh]

Someone believed the story. No close ups of the blade and copper kundan work? Maybe it was an early Chinese knock off of an Indian khanjar!! Has anyone here seen an Indian scabbard with jade on it like this one?

[Gustav]

The scabbard looks like Ottoman work, Turkish "rococo" (but of quite pedestrian quality). There are two daggers in Hale's book, p. 78, with similar jade (?) parts on scabbard.

The smaller Kanji on the box look like carved by a mentally disabled person by Japanese standards. There is no chance such writing could appear on a middle-19th cent. governments gift.

[ALEX]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

Hi Alex,
It is an Indian dagger all right. I don't discern any Japanese style/influence...

Yes, it is certainly Indian dagger, not Japanese in neither style nor influence. But was it (entirely) made in India? Is it original... or Mughal style dagger made elsewhere like in Japan, China, etc.? Also, is it 19thC work really?
Your dagger looks more Indian. The eyes do look proper kundan, although the rest is not kundan as I am sure you know.

[estcrh]

Looks like there was originally gold on top of the copper.

[ALEX]

Originally Posted by estcrh

Looks like there was originally gold on top of the copper.

Nice close-up. Looks like it was gilded copper kundan. The exposed carving on the ridge looks clean, even and uniform, almost as machine made., does not look 19thC work.

[mariusgmioc]

I find it strange that the stones don't appear to be gems but coloured glass. But the photos can be deceiving.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

I find it strange that the stones don't appear to be gems but coloured glass. But the photos can be deceiving.

You are probably right, maybe gems and gold were removed, with the gems being replaced. But the blade does not appear to be of the quality expected as well in my opinion.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by estcrh

You are probably right, maybe gems and gold were removed, with the gems being replaced. But the blade does not appear to be of the quality expected as well in my opinion.

I was thinking pretty much the same albeit the quality of the photos make the assesment of the blade very difficult.

All in all, this dagger and its story raise more question marks than the pyramids...