Dagger of steel, gold and walrus ivory
Like item 8a-b/2022, this dagger belongs to a group with straight or slightly curved blades. Some are pierced by openwork and/or have areas in raised relief, others do not, but a trait characteristic of all of them is fine gold inlays. A number of the daggers have survived intact, but many have been given new hilts over time.
Several of these daggers have previously been identified as Iranian,1 while more recent publications generally attribute them to the Ottoman Empire in the century after Selim I’s victory over Shah Ismail in the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514.2 As a consequence of the defeat, many Iranian artists were relocated to Turkey. Scholars have not yet established a clear-cut chronological sequence among the approximately thirty preserved specimens.
The straight blade of this dagger features openwork as well as cartouches in relief, and both sides have gold inlays in the form of various foliar arabesques and nastaliq inscriptions in Persian. However, Persian was the dominant language at the Ottoman court, and the dagger which, in terms of decoration, is most reminiscent of 14/2022 has both Turkish and Persian inscriptions. This suggests a Turkish provenance.3 In poetic form, the verses address not only the dagger’s ability to take life, but also the deadly effect of all-destroying love.4
The hilt has rudimentary quillions, which on more elaborate examples terminate in dragon heads, and the slightly twisted grip, seemingly shaped like bundled branches terminating in a rounded pommel, is reminiscent of that of other daggers in this group.5 The fact that the upper, undecorated part of the blade is exposed proves that the hilt is a later addition. It has previously been suggested that the hilt may originate from India, but the fact that it is made from walrus ivory suggests a Turkish rather than an Indian provenance.6
Several of these daggers have previously been identified as Iranian,1 while more recent publications generally attribute them to the Ottoman Empire in the century after Selim I’s victory over Shah Ismail in the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514.2 As a consequence of the defeat, many Iranian artists were relocated to Turkey. Scholars have not yet established a clear-cut chronological sequence among the approximately thirty preserved specimens.
The straight blade of this dagger features openwork as well as cartouches in relief, and both sides have gold inlays in the form of various foliar arabesques and nastaliq inscriptions in Persian. However, Persian was the dominant language at the Ottoman court, and the dagger which, in terms of decoration, is most reminiscent of 14/2022 has both Turkish and Persian inscriptions. This suggests a Turkish provenance.3 In poetic form, the verses address not only the dagger’s ability to take life, but also the deadly effect of all-destroying love.4
The hilt has rudimentary quillions, which on more elaborate examples terminate in dragon heads, and the slightly twisted grip, seemingly shaped like bundled branches terminating in a rounded pommel, is reminiscent of that of other daggers in this group.5 The fact that the upper, undecorated part of the blade is exposed proves that the hilt is a later addition. It has previously been suggested that the hilt may originate from India, but the fact that it is made from walrus ivory suggests a Turkish rather than an Indian provenance.6