Sword and Sheath thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Sword and Sheath

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sword with curved blade of forged steel with enamelled silver hilt; leather sheath with enamelled mounts, Lucknow, 17th-18th century century


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Sword
  • Shamshir
  • Sword Sheath
Brief description
Sword with curved blade of forged steel with enamelled silver hilt; leather sheath with enamelled mounts, Lucknow, 17th-18th century century
Gallery label
Sword & sheath: enamelled hilt & mounts, hilt with 3 bird heads, sheath with 2 enamelled rings & mounts; Moghul (Lahore), late 17 cent. I.M. 414-1914 [this is wrong: it is from Lucknow; date may be slightly later than 'late 17th c'. SS 19/12/2019](pre 1993)
Credit line
Bequeathed by the late Lady Anna Caroline Chandos Pole
Object history
Accession book description:
Sword (Shamsher) and Scabbard.
The sword-blade is of watered steel, and the handle of enamelled and gilt silver. The scabbard is of tooled and gilt leather, with tip and suspending bands of enamelled and gilt silver. Presented to the Hon. L.F.C. Stanhope (afterwards fifth Earl of Harrington) by Akbar Shah II, King of Delhi (1806-1827) while serving as aide-de-camp to the Marquis of Hastings, Governor-General of India between 1813 and 1823.
Mogul (Lucknow); late 17th century.
Sword L. 3ft., W of hilt, 41/4 in.
Scabbard, L 2 ft. 8 3/4 in. W 1 3/4 in.
The sword blade is curved having the edge on the outer side. The handle terminates in a bird’s head as do the extremities of the quillon. The grip has a flowering plant.
Bequest. The late Lady Anna Caroline Chandos Pole.
Received from the Executors, 15 July 1914
RP 1914/3555M.
As originally arranged and displayed in Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, with some additions while in storage, case F.708
Associations
Collection
Accession number
IM.414&A-1914

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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