A Mughal Jade-Hilted Dagger in the Form of a Camel, India, 17th or 18th Century
Auction Closed
April 29, 12:32 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
the recurved watered steel blade with false edge, the jade hilt with pommel in the form of a rutting camel with protruding dulla, a dense fleece covering the top of the head, the guard carved with a lotus design
33cm.
Philippe Missillier Collection no.186C
Robert Hales, Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, London: Robert Hales C.I. Ltd, 2013, p.28, no.69
In contrast to lot 39 which is a carving of an Arabian camel or dromedary, the carving here probably depicts a Bactrian camel, an animal with two humps and a thick amount of fleece on the top of the head and at the neck. However, the Bactrian camel does not have a dulla, and the craftsman may have conflated a familiar motif (the dulla) with a familiar species (the Bactrian camel).
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