Dagger (Bichuwa)

Unknown

17th century · Steel, gold · Arms and Armor

This intricately crafted dagger is among the best examples of ornamental steel chiseling from southeastern India, an area renowned for this kind of metalwork. It may belong to a group of ornately decorated weapons that was preserved in the palace armory of Tanjore (present-day Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu) until the 1850s. The dagger is particularly noteworthy for the fineness of its workmanship, including complete figures in the round, and for retaining areas of original gilding, which is entirely missing on most surviving pieces of this type.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Steel, gold

Culture

Indian, Thanjavur

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2014