Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

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A FINE INDIAN KNIFE, SIND, CIRCA 1860
with stout blade formed with a double-edged point,
recessed block-shaped forte engraved with scrolling foliage
on each side, and inlaid with a lengthy gold presentation
inscription on the back-edge, engraved steel hilt comprising
recurved cross-piece, cylindrical ferrule, and octagonal cap
pommel, decorated throughout with scrolling flowers and
foliage enriched with an alternating pattern of gold and
silver flowerheads, and pellets, tapering octagonal grip
formed of contrasting pieces of figured horn and ivory, and
remaining in fine condition throughout
37.8cm; 14P in
Literature:
Howard Ricketts and Philippe Missillier, Splendeur des
Armes Orientales, Paris 1988, p.130 no. 217.
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The inscription reads, in translation:
‘...His Highness Mir Ali Khan Sahib Bahadur, The Governor
of Khairpur...(?) made by Hayat Haddad.’
His Highness Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur (born 1815) was
the ruler of Khairpur State, a large tract of land in upper
Sind that remained independent when the country on both
sides of the Indus fell under the control of the British
Government following Sir Charles Napier’s victory at the
Battle of Meeanee in 1843.
Khaipur was one of the three ruling Houses of Sind that
had been set up in a division of the realm between the
three sons of Mir Sohrab Khan in the 1780’s when he
established his own dynasty there having driven out the
last Kalhora sovereign.
Another knife from this workshop was presented to the
Prince of Wales on his visit to India in 1875-6. See P.
Missillier and H. Ricketts, op.cit., p. 196.
£2500-3000
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