Safavid Period Walrus Ivory ‘I’ Shaped Dagger Handle
A Persian Safavid Period Walrus Ivory ‘I’ Shaped Dagger Handle
Carved with calligraphic inscriptions above and below a figure of a ruler standing under an awning to the reverse a noble couple standing in a garden under an arch
Old repairs
Silky smooth worn patina
16th – 17th Century
Size: 12.5cm high, 5cm wide, 2cm deep – 5 ins high, 2 ins wide, ¾ ins deep
Carved with calligraphic inscriptions above and below a figure of a ruler standing under an awning to the reverse a noble couple standing in a garden under an arch
Old repairs
Silky smooth worn patina
16th – 17th Century
Size: 12.5cm high, 5cm wide, 2cm deep – 5 ins high, 2 ins wide, ¾ ins deep
Daggers worn tucked into a belt or suspended close to hand were the Islamic warrior’s personal weapon indispensable in close combat as well as eminently useful in everyday life. Perhaps because of their intimate nature daggers have often been highly decorated both for show and for pleasure. The arts of Iran in the 16th and 17th centuries were under the direct patronage of Safavid Shahs with both Court and commercial workshops producing goods of a fineness, elegance and quality that influenced the rest of the Muslim world. The figures carved on this dagger handle are of the same style found in miniatures painted in the texts and books of the Safavid period.
Safavid Period Walrus Ivory ‘I’ Shaped Dagger Handle
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