A fine Mughal walrus ivory-hilted watered-steel lion head dagger
North India, 17th Century
the double-edged watered-steel blade with armour piercing tip and two fullers, the forte chiselled to each side with a palmette, the walrus-ivory hilt with lion head pommel, carved near the forte with large floral motifs, lion head quillons, with foil-backed eyes set in gold kundan
51.4 cm. long
Footnotes:
Provenance
Private UK collection, formed in the mid 20th Century, and thence by descent.

The lion hilt of the present lot is unusual for zoomorphic hilts of the 17th Century, with the additional carved lion heads forming the quillons further marking this piece as a rare example. For a 17th Century jade hilt in the form of a lion head, which features curved quillons, see Robert Hales, Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime's Passion, London, 2013, p. 28, cat. 70. An ivory example in the same publication also features comparable foliate carving to the base of the hilt (see op. cit. p. 58, cat. 117).
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y
Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13.