Wonderful Late 18th C. Mughal or Tipu Sultan Period Indian Kard Dagger خنجر

An elegantly carved antique weapon, this 18th century Indian kard reflects very fine age from handling. In addition to the refined carving of a tiger head and stained red inside of the mouth in the exact style of the Tipu Sultan period arms, the matching scabbard features fine age cracks, structurally insignificant yet uniquely incorporated into a vine like floral design. The blade, featuring a visibly consistent Indian crystalline wootz, extends 6 inches, while the entire piece spans 10.5 inches.

Developed originally in India, wootz steel technology features a system of isolating micro carbides within a matrix of tempered martensite. The ancient metalwork specialist Herbert Maryon of the British Museum in London described the metal technique as: “the undulations of the steel resemble a net across running water … [the pattern] waved like watered silk… it was mottled like the grains of yellow sand.” With roots in the Tamil Nudu region of the sub- continent, the technology was considered the most effective in the world for maximizing armor piercing potential. The indigenous Indian population presented the invading armies of Alexander the Great with tribute ingots of wootz around 300 B.C. From there, the process was refined over time throughout the world in Damascus, Syria; continental Europe; and later Great Britain, where the process underpinned the Industrial Revolution that began in the 18th century. The Rajahs of India submitted tulwars, shamshirs, khanjars, in addition to other ancient swords and daggers manufactured with wootz to the International Exhibition of 1851 and 1862, whereby the pieces become coveted for the quality of their steel.

In addition to edged weapons wootz steel was used in the manufacture of many types of metalwork as well, including armor sets such as char ainas (or Four mirror), bazubands made with dark Persian Khorassan wootz are noted from the period of the Safavid Empire and throughout the Qajar period. Furthermore, axes or tabars and tabarzins, in addition to caligraphy scissors were made from wootz steel.

The Mughal tribe dominated much of the Indian sub-continent for centuries prior to the arrival of the British in the 19th century. Their military and political prowess notwith-standing, the Mughals invested greatly in nurturing the cultural development and expansion of the sub-continent. Not only did they further develop the prowess and depth of native Indian art forms, the Mughals promoted the development of other cultural movements in India like the Renaissance in Europe.