Dagger

Indian, Deccan

Not on view

Animal-head daggers came into fashion at the Mughal court in the second quarter of the seventeenth century. Horses were the most popular subject, followed by nilgai (a large antelope from India), lions, tigers, goats, and camels, usually carved from nephrite jade, serpentine, marble, or ivory. This dagger is exceptional in that its hilt is made entirely of iron. The lion’s mane retains traces of silver, and its deep-set eyes were formerly jeweled.

Dagger, Steel, iron, silver, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Dagger, Steel, iron, silver, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan
Dagger, Steel, iron, silver, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan
Dagger, Steel, iron, silver, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan
Dagger, Steel, iron, silver, copper alloy, Indian, Deccan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.