Tray of Jeweled Daggers
Not on view
This opulent array of daggers belongs to a large group of flamboyant gem-studded weapons that were probably made in Istanbul in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Their traditional shapes and luxurious materials were intended to evoke romantic notions of
the exotic orient, Arabian Nights, or perhaps the sultan’s treasury. As most of these weapons are found today in American and European collections rather than in Turkish museums, they may have been made exclusively for Western tourists.
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