A Mughal Jade-Hilted Dagger in the form of a Horse, India, 18th Century
Auction Closed
April 29, 12:32 PM GMT
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
the double-edged steel blade with central ridge, the hilt of polychrome jade carved at the guard with a floral design including long leaves that extend across the majority of the grip, the pommel carved in the form of a horse’s head with ears turned back
37cm.
Philippe Missillier Collection no.202C
The long leaf form appears to be that of the banana tree. The motif is not common in the Mughal decorative repertoire, which favours the traditional flowering plant. Similar long leaves appear on a jade horse-head dagger hilt in the Wallace Collection (OA1418), and on a dagger on the market in London in 1992 (Spink and Son, 1992, no.26). The banana-leaf motif is more common in paintings from Bundi and Jaipur, suggesting a Rajput connection for the owner of this dagger (Joseph M. Dye III, The Arts of India, Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 2001, pp.156-7 discusses the banana-leaf in Mughal art).
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