Scabbard for a Punch-Dagger (Katar) (Primary Title)
Katar (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
The elegantly restrained decorative style of the Mughals was transformed by artists in the 18th century into lighter, lusher, and more extravagant forms. This intricate gilded-silver scabbard, made for a triangular-bladed punch dagger (katar), is a superb example of this almost rococo aesthetic. Floral motifs—always a mainstay of Mughal decoration—are multiplied and interlaced into an ebullient openwork tracery that covers the scabbard’s velvet-clad wooden interior.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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