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

Sword

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
India (made)

Ceremonial sword, narrow blade of soft steel, long hilt carved in continuation of the blade, set with uncut rubies mounted in gold; gold tassel attached; sheath plated with gold, encircled by ten bands of uncut rubies.


Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
Metalwork
Gemstones
India Museum
Object type
Sword
Materials and techniques
rubies, gold.
Steel
Ruby
Gold
Steel
Brief description
Sword with a steel blade and with the hilt of gold encrusted with rubies, Indian, Burma, 19th century
Physical description
Ceremonial sword, narrow blade of soft steel, long hilt carved in continuation of the blade, set with uncut rubies mounted in gold; gold tassel attached; sheath plated with gold, encircled by ten bands of uncut rubies.
Dimensions
  • Length: 94cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Transliteration
Credit line
Transferred from the India Museum in 1879
Object history
Presented by the King of Burma (either Pagan, r.1846-53, or Mindon, r.1853-78) to to Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India 1847-56.
Production
Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879
Bibliographic references
  • 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.95
  • Ayers, J. Oriental Art in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1983, ISBN 0-85667-120-7 p. 99
  • Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 95, Cat. No. 239
Other numbers
  • 239 - Egerton Catalogue Number
  • 8,678 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
2574:1/(IS)

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Record createdSeptember 9, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166759/sword-unknown/
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