Dagger with Sheath
This dagger 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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dagger with Sheath
- Date: 19th century
- Culture: Turkish
- Medium: Steel, gold, jade, diamond, sapphire, ruby, emerald
- Dimensions: L. with sheath 17 9/16 in. (44.6 cm); L. without sheath 15 15/16in. (40.5 cm); L. of blade 11 3/16 in. (28.4 cm); W. 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm); D. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm); Wt. 9.7 oz. (275 g); Wt. of sheath 5.3 oz (150.3 g)
- Classification: Daggers
- Credit Line: Gift of Giulia P. Morosini, in memory of her father, Giovanni P. Morosini, 1923
- Object Number: 23.232.6a, b
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
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Turkish
probably late 19th century
Turkish
Grip and guard, second half of the 17th century; blade, late 18th–19th century
Indian, Mughal
1605–27
Turkish, in the style of Turkman armor
late 15th–16th century
Turkish, probably Istanbul
1522–66
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