Description:

Western Asia, Persia (Iran), ca. late 18th to early 19th century CE. An elegant weapon, this is a steel katar (also katara or bundi dagger), with an H-shaped horizontal hand grip and a long, pointed, triangular blade that sits below the user's knuckles. A pronounced groove is in the center of the blade, which has the handle cast onto it. A fleur-de-lis extends downward from the guard onto the blade, bolstered by three iron rivets. The handle itself has niello (a mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphates with a black color, often inlayed or engraved onto etched metal) floral and leaf motifs covering its entire surface. These types of daggers are unique to the Indo-Persian world, and ceremonial examples are used in worship. A katar was also a deadly weapon in hand-to-hand combat, when it could be punched with the full body weight behind it rather than thrusting as one does with a sword or staff. Size: 2.95" W x 19.3" H (7.5 cm x 49 cm); 6.95" H (17.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection

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#127617

  • Condition: Patina on surface. Excellent preserved niello.

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October 26, 2017 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000