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Jeweled and Enameled Ram's Head Dagger

18th–19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 463
Often tucked into a sash or horseman’s boot, daggers in Mughal India displayed the wealth and power of their owners. An intricately patterned ram’s head pommel adorns the hilt of this dagger, made in the kundan technique in which gems are set into malleable pure gold foil, allowing them to be arranged in any pattern or density over curved surfaces. In this dagger, pieces of quartz adorning the cross guard are surrounded by raised borders of gold which form the curved lines of a flower. The ram’s head is decorated with a floral scroll and is separated from the hilt grip by a quartz collar, also in the kundan method.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Jeweled and Enameled Ram's Head Dagger
  • Date: 18th–19th century
  • Geography: Attributed to India, probably Jaipur
  • Medium: Hilt: Gold, enameled and set with precious stones; kundan technique
    Blade: steel
  • Dimensions: Overall:
    H. 12 3/16 in. (31 cm)
    Gr. W. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)
    W. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm)
    Ram's Head:
    H. 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm)
    Hilt:
    H. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
  • Classification: Arms and Armor
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1970
  • Object Number: 1970.180
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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