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Lot Essay
The drawing of the flowers on the hilt and chape of this fine sword relate stylistically to a small group of vessels and weapons enamelled with large floral sprays on a white enamel ground. A number of the vessels are published by Zebrowski (Mark: Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London, 1997, esp. pls.34, 35, and 38) and dated to the second half of the 17th century or around 1700. A small number of weapons which use a similar colour scheme and which can be similarly dated are in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait.
It is in the blue ground that this sword is so unusual. There appears to be only one other weapon with this feature, a dagger in the British Museum which is reported to have belonged to Haydar 'Ali, the de facto ruler of Mysore who lived 1722-82. While the hilt is of carved jade, the sheath of this dagger has both the gold chape and locket mounts decorated with single floral sprays on a blue ground, albeit of a slightly darker tone than that used in the present sword.
It is in the blue ground that this sword is so unusual. There appears to be only one other weapon with this feature, a dagger in the British Museum which is reported to have belonged to Haydar 'Ali, the de facto ruler of Mysore who lived 1722-82. While the hilt is of carved jade, the sheath of this dagger has both the gold chape and locket mounts decorated with single floral sprays on a blue ground, albeit of a slightly darker tone than that used in the present sword.