A GILT COPPER MOUNTED SWORD (SHAMSHIR)

PROBABLY KUTCH, NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A GILT COPPER MOUNTED SWORD (SHAMSHIR)
PROBABLY KUTCH, NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY
The gently curving blade with silver inlaid cartouches towards the top, one side containing a floral lattice, the other with a lively hunting scene, the hilt and sheath of gilt copper, the hilt decorated with a series of diagonal facets and terminating in a stylised lion's head, the quillions engraved with floral motifs, the sheath decorated in repoussé with an elegant animated design of figures, some mounted on horseback or elephants, hunting gazelles and wild boar, the figures surrounded by floral scrolls, with two attachment loops affixed to the sheath through pronounced stylised lion's heads, one loop a later replacement, sheath repaired
35¼in. (89.5cm.) long

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Lot Essay

A very similar sword is in the National Museum, New Delhi, attributed to Karnataka (E. Jaiwant Paul, Arms and Armour: Traditional Weapons of India, Delhi, 2005, pp. 135-36). This technique of repoussé work has more recently been more convincingly attributed to 19th century Kutch. A similar repoussé decorated sheath also decorated with hunting scenes and attributed to Kutch circa 1800 was sold at Bonham's London, 7 October 2010, lot 371.

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