JADE DAGGER
Full Description:
Formed with a translucent jade hilt of ‘pistol-grip’ form, this dagger (or khanjar) represents a persuasive example of a weapon-type commonly sought after by collectors.
A slightly unfurled lotus – the texture of its petals and stigma picked out with close carving – sits serenely at the centre of the lobed quillon block. This motif is repeated at the pommel, though here the fuller structure of the flower is conveyed, as its long, ridged leaves splay out from the centre and over the medial brim of the hilt.
A fine ‘wootz’ steel blade of slender section completes the dagger, exhibiting a rich pattern over its surface and recurving gradually over the course of its length before the blade then tapers to a point.
We may compare the present example with another Mughal dagger exhibited by Runjeet Singh Ltd in Treasures from Asian Armouries - TEFAF 2020 (Cat. No. 4), particularly on account of its similar floral carving.[1]