Deccani handles?

[Ian]

Ariel:

When looking at hybrid examples, I am always of two minds. Does this represent temporal hybridism or geographical hybridism? In other words, are we looking at a transition between two forms that occurred over time (i.e., temporal evolution within a specific region), or, as you suggest, the mixing of two different styles in an intervening region?

Without provenance of specific pieces, I don't think one can distinguish between these two possibilities.

Ian.

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Ian

Ariel:

When looking at hybrid examples, I am always of two minds. Does this represent temporal hybridism or geographical hybridism? In other words, are we looking at a transition between two forms that occurred over time (i.e., temporal evolution within a specific region), or, as you suggest, the mixing of two different styles in an intervening region?

Without provenance of specific pieces, I don't think one can distinguish between these two possibilities.

Ian.

Very true.
The "geographical" hybrid would be consistent with pure Deccani origin.
The "temporal" one might me Mughal with Southern influence or Southern with the Mughal one.

But the epicenter ( or initial point) of such a transition would still be likely to occur at the point of maximal clash between the two, wouldn't it?

[ariel]

I remembered seeing a similar one, and it came back to me: in the Elgood's paper on Deccani swords

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...808#post197808

there is a sword with very similar handle, that is attributed to Deccan

[Jens Nordlunde]

Ariel,
The sword you show, is the one I had in my hands 12 years ago or so, and I am convinced it is from Deccan.
These mixed hilts seem to be from Deccan, but they should be researched, to find out from where in Deccan, as I have a funny feeling that they came from the same area.
Jens

[Ian]

Originally Posted by ariel

...
But the epicenter (or initial point) of such a transition would still be likely to occur at the point of maximal clash between the two, wouldn't it?

Or the point(s) at which one was (eventually) supplanted by another. Without more information, I don't know how to distinguish geographical from temporal transition.

Ian.

[ariel]

Jens,
Yes, the one from the Jaipur book you refer to: it has a very similar " khanda/tulwar" construction of the handle, but the artistic features are South Rajasthan, especially the beaded edges. Elgood specifically mentions khanjars from Deccan with similarly engineered handles and, as you notice, stresses the Deccani attribution of this configuration.

I know full well that I am skating on a dangerously thin ice, but if only we could finf several similar ones firmly attributable to Deccan, we might feel a bit more secure.
BTW, mine #3 from the left, is indian wootz, and has a very short Arabic ( Persian?) inscription, looking like a name, no more.