A dagger hilt, flowers and leaves carved in low relief, deep olive green jade, India

A symmetrical dagger hilt, fashioned in one piece in deep olive green nephrite jade with flowers and leaves carved in low relief. The shaft is carved as three sections, with the front scrolled quillon section and the scrolled end section, which has a bud terminal, being separated from the central shaft by narrow, ringed waists. The quillon end has a short, shallow groove cut into it for receiving the blade and there is a round hole extending down the shaft of the hilt.

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 £4-0-0.

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 century. The nephrite jade would have enhanced the appearance of the dagger, while its weight would have helped to counter-balance the steel blade. Although nephrite 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.

631-1874