An Ottoman nephrite hilted bejewelled Ottoman hançer
Ottoman Empire, Turkey, 19th century
The dagger’s hilt is carved from a single block of pale nephrite jade with an ethereal, luminescent glow. Eye-shaped garnets and emeralds are inset over the grip in a symmetrical arrangement using the kundan technique and evoking tiny blossoms, with a vibrant, fully open matching floral design at the top. The Damascus steel blade is slightly curved in an elegant line and of superior quality. The robust, engraved, fuller, reinforced by double grooves, rises boldly from a central, leafy design in gold on both sides of the blade. The scabbard has, just beneath the locket, a natural bright blue star sapphire (confirmed by using a digital microscope). The silver shows traces of gold inlay and has mounts exuberantly decorated with roses of numerous sparkling rubies, emeralds, spinels, and beryls.
L. 48 cm / L. 29.5 cm (blade)
Provenance:
Runjeet Singh ltd., London
This opulent hançer, or dagger, represents a fine example of this weapon type and is well preserved. These ceremonial weapons are known to have been presented to Edward
VII and are preserved in the Royal Collection Trust today. Similar daggers, such as some with calligraphic inscriptions, can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (access. no. 36.25.994) and the British Museum (access no. 1878,1230.902). Blades like the one present are tempered in such a way as to display distinctive motifs of banding and mottling, which are reminiscent of flowing water. In addition, they are resistant to shattering and can be honed to a sharp, resilient edge. For a comparable dagger, see: Alexander, Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 79.
Literature:
- Robert Elgood, The Arms of Greece and Her Balkan Neighbours in the Ottoman Period, Thames and Hudson, London, 2009. p. 34 (ill.)
- David Alexander, Stuart W. Pyhrr, & Will Kwiatkowski, Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, pp. 203–205 (ill.)
The dagger’s hilt is carved from a single block of pale nephrite jade with an ethereal, luminescent glow. Eye-shaped garnets and emeralds are inset over the grip in a symmetrical arrangement using the kundan technique and evoking tiny blossoms, with a vibrant, fully open matching floral design at the top. The Damascus steel blade is slightly curved in an elegant line and of superior quality. The robust, engraved, fuller, reinforced by double grooves, rises boldly from a central, leafy design in gold on both sides of the blade. The scabbard has, just beneath the locket, a natural bright blue star sapphire (confirmed by using a digital microscope). The silver shows traces of gold inlay and has mounts exuberantly decorated with roses of numerous sparkling rubies, emeralds, spinels, and beryls.
L. 48 cm / L. 29.5 cm (blade)
Provenance:
Runjeet Singh ltd., London
This opulent hançer, or dagger, represents a fine example of this weapon type and is well preserved. These ceremonial weapons are known to have been presented to Edward
VII and are preserved in the Royal Collection Trust today. Similar daggers, such as some with calligraphic inscriptions, can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (access. no. 36.25.994) and the British Museum (access no. 1878,1230.902). Blades like the one present are tempered in such a way as to display distinctive motifs of banding and mottling, which are reminiscent of flowing water. In addition, they are resistant to shattering and can be honed to a sharp, resilient edge. For a comparable dagger, see: Alexander, Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 79.
Literature:
- Robert Elgood, The Arms of Greece and Her Balkan Neighbours in the Ottoman Period, Thames and Hudson, London, 2009. p. 34 (ill.)
- David Alexander, Stuart W. Pyhrr, & Will Kwiatkowski, Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, pp. 203–205 (ill.)
Sold
Related objects
A superb royal Sumatran gold hilted pedang
A superb bejewelled gem-set repoussé silver Ottoman miquelet flintlock rifle
The octagonal watered steel 8-faceted barrel is damascened at the muzzle and breech with gold arabesques, with a lock with similar gold decoration dated 1038AH (1628 CE). The full stock is entirely covered in silver repoussé with floral scrolls, showing traces of gilding, decorated with two crescent moon appliques and centrally a star applique inset with cabochon-cut rubies, spinels, beryls, and emeralds.
An Ottoman red-coral and silver inlaid snap lock rifle
_Ottoman Empire, North Africa, Algeria, 17th century_ _L. 164 cm_ Provenance: Private collection, Brussels For a near-identical gun, see the collection of the Dresden Rüstkammer, inv. no. Y 0341.