16th C. South Indian Deccan Bikaner All Steel Chilanum Khanjarli Dagger خنجر

A truly elegant example of an extremely rare Indian dagger, this type of piece is prominent in several esteemed collections around the world, including the the Al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait and the Bikaner Armoury. The recently released Bob Hales Collection catalogue, the most sig-nificant publication on antique Eastern arms and armor of the last decade, also features the mag- isterial work.

Our piece remains in beautiful original condition, with excellent chiseling and detail. The weap-on spans 18 inches in length, while the blades extends 12 inches. The edge remains thicks with its armor piercing tip intact, though centuries of use have caused a minor opening in one of the fullers of the blade.

According to research by Marika Sardar of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, only following the establishment of the Mughal military presence in Ahmadnagar during this time period, did their imperial aesthetic begin to shape the art and design of the Deccan civilization. The Mughals conquered the last of the Deccani sultanates in the late 17th century. They continued to rule in the former Qutb Shahi capital of Hyderabad until India achieved its inde-pendence, and their court carried Persianate culture of the Deccan well into the 1900s.