A bronze sword hilt and steel battle axe blade

INDIA, RAJASTHAN, 16TH AND 17TH CENTURY

Details

A bronze sword hilt and steel battle axe blade
India, Rajasthan, 16th and 17th century
The first with makara heads emerging from the shoulder, the base of the tang with inverted triangles, the grip decorated with diagonal lines winding to the top, and the pommel shaped like a makara with intricate details including teeth, the second a tapering double-edged steel blade with central ridge and fuller, the forte carved with floral motifs flanked by lions, the hilt formed as a cube depicting a sun and Ganesha and a cylindrical hole running through it, topped with sculpted elephant
11¾ in. (29.8 cm.) high, the blade
8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm.)high, the hilt (2)

Provenance

Private collection, New York, before 1979

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Lot Essay

The battle axe displays two symbols on its hilt. The sun, the royal insignia of the Sisodia dynasty of Mewar is attributed to their suryavanshi lineage, while the image of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, invokes divine protection. The cylindrical hole would have been for attachment to a pole or rod.

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