Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Mace

late 17th century or early 18th century (made)
Place of origin
India (made)

The mace (gurz) made of watered steel has very finely inlaid gold decoration and was made somewhere in the northern Indian subcontinent in the late 17th or early 18th century. One of the flanges has a number in dotted Arabic numerals which is presumably an armoury mark. It was acquired by the Indian Museum and transferred to the South Kensington Museum, later the V&A, in 1879. Nothing is known of its previous history.


Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
SCRAN
Metalwork
India Museum
Object type
Mace
Materials and techniques
Steel, finely overlaid with gold
Brief description
6 flanges; Arms, steel, gold overlay (kuftkari), Mughal, 17th century
Physical description
Mace, narrow raised fillets and pamettes on the shaft
Dimensions
  • Length: 58.5cm
Style
Mughal
Credit line
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879
Object history
In Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, then in crypt store in basement of V&A building, case F.714
Subject depicted
Floral Patterns
Summary
The mace (gurz) made of watered steel has very finely inlaid gold decoration and was made somewhere in the northern Indian subcontinent in the late 17th or early 18th century. One of the flanges has a number in dotted Arabic numerals which is presumably an armoury mark. It was acquired by the Indian Museum and transferred to the South Kensington Museum, later the V&A, in 1879. Nothing is known of its previous history.
Bibliographic references
  • Guy, John and Swallow, Deborah (eds.) Arts of India: 1550-1900. Text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990, reprinted 1999. 240 p. : ill. ISBN: 1851770224. p.101, pl.81
  • Skelton, Robert, et al, The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 p. 136, cat. no. 447. Susan Stronge
  • Swallow, D., Stronge, S., Crill, R., Koezuka, T., editor and translator, "The Art of the Indian Courts. Miniature Painting and Decorative Arts", Victoria & Albert Museum and NHK Kinki Media Plan, 1993. p. 82, cat. no. 64
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
3526(IS)

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Record createdFebruary 6, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73930/mace/
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