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Dagger: O.140-1879

Object information

Current Location: Gallery 31 (Armoury)

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Hilt and blade are made in one piece of steel. The blade is double edged and double curved, with a chevron of six deep fullers at the forte and a long reinforced point. At the forte the blade widens into bud-like wings with piercings at either side. The hilt is waisted, with a central squashed globular knop wit double mouldings at either side, and has symmetrical curved guard and pommel wings above and below. The flange between the wings of the pommel is extended into a finial with another squashed globular knop. Most of the hilt is painted black, the blade polished bright with pitting from its earlier corrosion

Notes

History note: From Ganjam. Probably from Tanjore arsenal

Legal notes

Given by Robert Taylor, MA

Measurements and weight

Blade Length: 30 cm
Overall Length: 41.2 cm
Weight: 348 g

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by Taylor, Robert, MA

Dating

16th Century, Late
Circa 1560 CE - 1600 CE

Note

Compare Metropolitan Museum of Art New York no 36.25.751 from the Stone, Oldman and Walhouse collections, the lavishly decorated 36.25.6AB in the same collection and one from a private collection (Elgood 2004: 178–80, figs 16.32, 16.36 and 16.38).

This wonderfully extravagant dagger probably comes from the arsenal at Tanjore (Thanjavur) in south-east India.

Materials used in production

Steel

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 140
  • Method of creation: Inscribed
  • Type: Tag

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: O.140-1879
Primary reference Number: 159906
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 12 May 2021 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Dagger" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/159906 Accessed: 2024-12-27 19:13:12

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/159906 |title=Dagger |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-27 19:13:12|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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