Live Auction 17464Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence
A SERPENTINE AND ROCK-CRYSTAL HILTED SWORD
Lot 81

A SERPENTINE AND ROCK-CRYSTAL HILTED SWORD

NORTH INDIA, HILT PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY, BLADE 1750-1800

Closed19 June 2019

Price Realised

USD 200,000

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A SERPENTINE AND ROCK-CRYSTAL HILTED SWORD
NORTH INDIA, HILT PROBABLY 19TH CENTURY, BLADE 1750-1800
The hilt carved from a single piece of jade, set with carved rock-crystal lozenges and rubies, watered-steel blade inscribed and inlaid with gold royal parasol (chhattri)
36 ins. (92 cm.) long; hilt 5 1/8 ins. (13 cm.) long

Specialist note

For a brief note on the rare decoration of this sword hilt and for a similarly decorated a dagger hilt and flywhisk handle in the sale, see lots 80 and 82. The single-edged curved watered-steel blade has a fuller on both sides just below the rear edge. Inlaid in gold with an Arabic inscription from the Qur’an, the blade also bears a gold parasol (chhatri) which is a symbol of imperial ownership (Beijing 2018, p.183).