Unknown
Dagger (Khanjar) and SheathHilt: circa 1675-1700; Blade and sheath fittings, circa 1800-50

Not on view

Dagger and scabbard with ivory-white handle inlaid with pink and green floral motifs, polished steel blade, and celadon green scabbard body with matching decorated metal fittings

Mughal dagger with a curved white jade hilt inlaid with emeralds, rubies, and gold in a floral kundan setting; gold quillon with engraved ornament; straight double-edged steel blade.

Dagger with a curved jade hilt set in gold with inlaid rubies, emeralds, and a central diamond in floral and leaf patterns; steel blade with gilt cartouche at the forte.

Dagger hilt of pale jade with a curved pistol-grip form, inlaid with gold-set emeralds, rubies, and diamonds in floral and leaf motifs; steel blade with gold-inlaid Arabic inscription visible at base.

Close-up of a jeweled dagger hilt and upper blade. White jade hilt set with gold-mounted cabochon emeralds, rubies, and spinels arranged in a floral and foliate pattern. Steel blade inlaid with gold Arabic script in cursive calligraphy.

Close-up of a dagger hilt and blade junction; white jade handle set with gold-mounted emeralds, rubies, and a central rose-cut diamond in a floral design; steel blade with gold-inlaid Arabic inscriptions near the ricasso.

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Dagger (Khanjar) and Sheath
Place Made: India, Mughal empire
Date Made: Hilt: circa 1675-1700; Blade and sheath fittings, circa 1800-50
Medium: White nephrite jade hilt and sheath fittings inlaid with foil-backed rubies, emeralds, and diamonds set in gold; steel blade; velvet covered wooden sheath
Dimensions: overall: 16 7/8 x 3 x 1 in. (42.8625 x 7.62 x 2.54 cm) Sheath: 11 1/4 in. Dagger: 14 5/8 x 3 x 1 in.
Credit Line: From the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Museum Associates Purchase
Accession Number: M.71.1.35a-b
Classification: Arms and Armor
Collecting Area: South and Southeast Asian Art
Curatorial Notes: Fashioned in the shape of a pistol-grip, the surface of the white nephrite jade hilt is enriched with alternating columns of rubies and emeralds set in gold floral motifs. The more prominent emeralds are carved in leaf forms, with the cabochon rubies functioning primarily as visual accents. Asymmetrically cut diamonds on the pommel and above the mouth of the hilt aesthetically anchor the composition as the centerpieces of floral sprays formed by gemstones. The jade locket and chape of the green velvet-covered wooden sheath are encrusted with rubies and emeralds set in gold floral designs. The dagger blade is straight with a raised central rib and reinforced tip. Raised cartouches near the blade’s hilt are embellished with decorative pseudo-Arabic inscriptions inlaid in gold in a damascene technique known as koftgari (made by beating).

The pistol-grip shaped hilt, originally a European weaponry form, was occasionally envisioned in South Asia as a stylized depiction of a parrot head. While this hilt may be attributed to around 1675 to 1700 on stylistic grounds, the superficially similar fittings of its sheath are stiffer in their design treatment and therefore likely later in date from around 1800-50, indicating that the present sheath is a later replacement. The current blade is probably also a replacement, which is partially corroborated by its nonsensical inscription, an occasional feature during the 19th century when myriad ornate weapons were produced or modified.
Selected Bibliography: Markel, Stephen. "The Enigmatic Image: Curious Subjects in Indian Art." Asianart.com, July 28, 2015. http://asianart.com/articles/enigmatic.
Komaroff, Linda. Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016.

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