Dagger hilt, pistol grip, grey nephrite jade, carved flowers and leaves, inset rubies, India

A dagger hilt with a pistol grip, fashioned in grey nephrite jade that contains small inclusions of fine black specks. The shaft is fairly straight with a generally round cross-section but the top has been flattened slightly. The end section has been nicely carved in low relief with a symmetric design of leaves with a flower in the centre of each side of the pommel. Inset into the centre of each flower there is a single ruby cabochon in a reflective, closed-back setting. There is a hole drilled part way down the length of the shaft.

This dagger hilt was acquired by William Tayler during his time in India (1829-1867). He subsequently sold it to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1874 for the sum of £3-0-0.

William Tayler was educated in England at Charterhouse and also spent a term at Christ Church, Oxford. He entered service with the East India Company on 30th April 1829, arriving in India in October of the same year. He held various posts in Bengal and was appointed Commissioner of Patna in 1855. During his service, he was able to acquire many objects, including hardstones, relating to the customs and religions of India as well as objects from other parts of South Asia.
He was criticised for his handling of the uprisings in Northern India and was moved to a lesser post before being suspended, ultimately resigning on 29th March 1859. He then practised as an advocate in the law courts of Bengal before returning to England in 1867.
He wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Thirty-eight Years in India, in which he states that "After my return to England, circumstances induced me, though with great reluctance, to part with the collection which is now in the South Kensington Museum".

The dagger hilt was made within the Mughal empire in the 18th or early 19th century. Although nephrite jade is a hard and durable material, one major disadvantage is that it could be liable to damage from sharp impacts, possibly sufficient to render the dagger unusable without a replacement hilt. Considering the materials used, it would have been made for a person of some means.

634-1874