GOLD TULWAR DATED 1866 A.D
Origin: Marwar Region, Rajasthan
Date: 1866 A.D
Size: 34 inches
Ref: SD18028
Price: SOLD
A fine Tulwar sword with elaborate gold decoration dated 1866 A.D.
This sword is a Rajput court sword of Marwari type and is finely decorated with gold sheet overlay on which are engraved fine lotus flowers and foliage in a scrolling design. The disc pommel features a sunburst design of Suryavansh origin. The Suryavansh are the Rajput dynasties that claim descent from Surya the Sun God.
The steel hilt is complete with a knuckle guard which terminates in a chiseled tiger head. On the inside of the knuckle guard an inscription can be found which is a dedication to Lord Krishna. It is a dedication to Krishna’s alternate form Gopinath, who is associated with gopis (cow-herding girls). It could also be a reference to another form, Shri Srinathji. Both have a large following in the Marwar region. The dedication is followed by a samvat date of 1866 A.D.
The placement of the inscription offers some interesting insight into the warrior culture of the time. Placed right inside the knuckle guard the inscription, a pious invocation that can also be interpreted as talismanic, located in a very personal and intimate part of the weapon, one that also maintains direct contact with its owner when held. In South Asia and parts of the Islamic world, the placement of talismanic symbols of invocations were deliberate – they were meant to be either touched or seen by the owner to create that connection between him and the divine.
The bright steel blade is cleanly cut with a single fuller and finished in a mirror polish, which provides aesthetic appeal.
See Elgood, Arms & Armour at the Jaipur Court: The Royal Collection, p. 127, cat. no. 86 for an example with similar gold decoration.
Research contribution by Rachel Parikh PhD
