Fine Gold Katar
Full Description:
A fine 18th century Katar dagger from North India, Punjab or Rajasthan.
A superior example when compared to most of this type. The thick gold koftgari amongst the heaviest I have seen applied, and applied densely in a repeating floral arrangement with little loss or wear.
The very heavy steel blade very likely crucible steel of a type known as 'crystalline', popular with this form of dagger, it is now polished bright and preserved in the current condition with a liberal coat of renaissance wax.
The form shares close similarities with a Katar published by Nordlunde (2013), and comes from the same currently unidentified workshop. A later scabbard with gilt chape.