Not currently on display at the V&A

Sword Hilt

1800 to 1882 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This finely polished agate sword handle was fashioned in India in the 19th century from locally available raw material. It was acquired by Mr. Arthur Wells who later bequeathed it to the museum in 1882.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Agate, cut and polished using abrasives, the hole most probably being made using a bow-drill.
Brief description
Sword hilt, translucent, very pale beige-grey agate with occasional fine, dark brown bands, India, 19th century
Physical description
A gently curved and contoured sword handle with an integral finger-guard and pommel, fashioned in translucent, very pale greyish beige agate with occasional fine, dark brown markings. In the front end, there is a v-shaped notch leading to a deeper hole for the attachment of a blade. There is minimal, lightly engraved decoration and it has been given a highly lustrous polish.
Dimensions
  • 1647 1882 length: 139.0mm (+/- 1.0)
  • 1647 1882 height: 75.0mm (+/- 1.0)
  • 1647 1882 width: 22.3 to 23.5mm
Credit line
Wells Bequest
Object history
This sword handle was fashioned in India in the 19th century and it was acquired by Arthur Wells who was a Nottingham solicitor and Clerk of the Peace. He was a keen traveller and was made a Fellow of the Geographical Society. He is considered to be the first private British collector of Chinese jade and his collection of jade and other hardstone objects from South Asia was on exhibition at the South Kensington Museum at the time of his death in 1882. This collection was left to the museum in his will - the Wells Bequest.
Summary
This finely polished agate sword handle was fashioned in India in the 19th century from locally available raw material. It was acquired by Mr. Arthur Wells who later bequeathed it to the museum in 1882.
Collection
Accession number
1647-1882

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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