A Basket-Hilt Sword (Khanda) associated with Rhagoji Bonsle, Central India, Kingdom of Nagpur, 18th Century
Auction Closed
April 29, 12:32 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
the slightly curved, European-style single-edged blade with two fullers and imitation maker’s marks towards the forte, the spine gold inlaid with Devanagari script, set in a traditional ‘basket’-style hilt fully overlaid with worked gold, the grip covered in green woven wool
124cm.
Philippe Missillier Collection no.39C
The inscription in Devanagari script on the spine suggests that it was made for the Maratha general Raghuji Bhonsle (r.1739-55), who established a large kingdom centred on the city of Nagpur in the north of the Deccan.
The long straight blade has been marked to appear European in origin. Indian imitations of European blades are in the Wallace Collection (inv. Nos.OA 1452, OA 1455, OA 1811 and OA 1873). Swords mounted with European blades made in centres including Solingen in Germany and in Venice and Genoa were known as firanghi (Frankish) and were sought after in Indian courts. William Hawkins, travelling in India from 1608-13, reported that Jahangir had 2200 swords with German blades in his treasury (William Foster (ed.), Early Travels on India, 1583-1619, Oxford University Press, 1921, p.103).
See lot 75 in this catalogue for a katar mounted with a European or European-style blade.
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