Sword and Sheath thumbnail 1
Sword and Sheath thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Sword and Sheath

Artist/Maker
Unknown

This sword once belonged to the Iranian ruler Shah Tahmasp. Many of the finest works of Islamic art were created during his long reign (1524–76). The blade of the sword is inlaid in gold with Arabic lettering. The inscription includes Shah Tahmasp's titles and genealogy, as well as quotes from the Koran.


Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
India Museum
Object type
Sword and sheath
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Sword
  • Sheath
Materials and techniques
Steel
Gold
Leather
Ivory
Silver
Hammered
Inlay
Stamped
Brief description
Sword of Shah Tahmasp and scabbard, Iran, 1524-76.
Physical description
Watered steel blade inlaid with gold; steel quillon and mounts, inlaid with gold; scales walrus ivory (?); scabbard wood with stamped leather; silver chape inlaid with niello.
Style
Safavid
Gallery label
  • Jameel Gallery Sword of Shah Tahmasp and Scabbard Iran 1524–76 The genealogy of Shah Tahmasp is inscribed on the back edge of the blade. His lineage is traced back to Musa al-Kazim, one of the Fourteen Immaculates and a descendant of Muhammad. The inscriptions on the blade itself give the entire chapter of the Qur’an called Victory. Swords and other arms were emblazoned with such quotations because defending the lands of Islam was a religious duty. Watered steel and gold, walrus ivory; stamped leather over wood, nielloed silver Museum no. 3378(IS) Presented by Colonel Pennington, 1885 (2010)
  • Jameel Gallery Sword of Shah Tahmasp and Scabbard Iran 1524-76 The genealogy of Shah Tahmasp is inscribed on the back edge of the blade. His lineage is traced back to Musa al-Kazim, one of the Fourteen Immaculates, and a descendant of Muhammad. The inscriptions on the blade itself give the whole of the chapter of the Qur'an called 'Victory'. Swords and other arms were emblazoned with quotations from the Qur'an because they could be used in defending the lands of Islam, which was a religious duty. The blade has been shortened, and the profile altered. Watered steel and gold, ivory, stamped leather over wood, nielloed silver Museum no. 3378(IS):1&2. Presented by Colonel Pennington, 1885(2006-2009)
Credit line
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879
Object history
In form the sword of Shah Tahmasp closely resembles that of the Ottoman sultan, Mehmed II, in Topkapi. The latter is designed to be held with two hands and given the weight of Shah Tahmasp's sword, and its poor balance in its present form, it seems likely according to Allen (Hunt for Paradise, 2003) that it was designed as a two-handed weapon, and that it originally had a much longer hilt.

The inscription on the back of the sword contains the lineage of Shah Tahmasp. The historical texts attest to various different geneologies for Shah Isma'il, and thus for the Safavid dynasty but this is the most common version, taking his lineage back to the Shi'ite Imam Musa al-Kazim, and by implication back to the Prophet's son-in-law, 'Ali, and to his wife Fatima, the prophet's daughter.
Production
Ex India Museum, presented by a Col. Pennington in 1855 and said to have come from Lahore
Summary
This sword once belonged to the Iranian ruler Shah Tahmasp. Many of the finest works of Islamic art were created during his long reign (1524–76). The blade of the sword is inlaid in gold with Arabic lettering. The inscription includes Shah Tahmasp's titles and genealogy, as well as quotes from the Koran.
Bibliographic references
  • Tim Stanley (ed.), with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004 pp.27-8
  • Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 144, Cat. No. 755
  • Anthony North, An Introduction to Islamic Arms, London 1985, fig. 24, p.30
  • Egerton, Wilbraham, An illustrated handbook of Indian arms; being a classified and descriptive catalogue of the arms exhibited at the India museum: with an introductory sketch of the military history of India, London, 1880 p.144
  • Thompson, Jon and Canby, Sheila, Hunt for paradise : court arts of Safavid Iran, 1501-1576 Milano : Skira, 2003 8.21
Other numbers
  • 755 - Egerton Catalogue number
  • 1511-'55 - India Museum Slip Book
  • M.539-1956 - Incorrect number
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
3378/1, 2(IS)

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Record createdNovember 29, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O71086/sword-and-sheath-unknown/
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