Not on display

Sword and Sheath

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

Middle East, metalwork, watered steel curved single edged blade decorated with a gold damascened cartouche and talismanic square or 'bedouh'. The quillons are brass, formerly gilt, and chased with lotus bud terminals. The grip is ivory and the pommel cap is missing. There are copper gilt straps, wired together.
Sheath for a sword (Shamshir), wood, formerly covered in green velvet, with tooled gilt leather bindings and gilt copper and brass chased mounts. Iran.

Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
Islam
India Museum
Object type
Sword and sheath
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Sheath
  • Sword
  • Shamshir
Brief description
Middle East, metalwork, watered steel curved single edged blade decorated with a gold damascened cartouche and talismanic square or 'bedouh'. The quillons are brass, formerly gilt, and chased with lotus bud terminals. The grip is ivory and the pommel cap is missing. There are copper gilt straps, wired together.
Sheath for a sword (Shamshir), wood, formerly covered in green velvet, with tooled gilt leather bindings and gilt copper and brass chased mounts. Iran.
Marks and inscriptions
  • Transliteration
Production
Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879
Bibliographic references
  • Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 144, Cat. No. 758
  • 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
Other numbers
  • 758 - Egerton Catalogue number
  • M.92-1949 - Incorrect number
  • 12,604 - India Museum Slip Book
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
3371(IS)/2

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Record createdDecember 19, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72223/sword-and-sheath-unknown/
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