HILT NORTH INDIA, 17TH CENTURY

This unusual hilt creates a design known from a small number of seventeenth century hilts such as one offered in these Rooms 13 October 1998 in a technique found on a small number of seventeenth century vessels including a group of rosewater sprinklers in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (Zebrowski, Mark: Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London, 1997, nos. 49-51 and especially no.44). The surface is covered with small polished uncut emeralds and rubies in overall designs which are in places overlaid by more prominent motifs. The areas which are too small to set with another stone are filled with fine scrolling engraved motifs which, as in the area around the nose, serve to emphasise one spot. The fish-scale patterning seen on the head here is identical to that on the neck of the latter mentioned of the Hermitage bottles, although a different pattern has been created by the colouring of the stones.