Royal Armouries Collection - Indian Dagger

Historical weapons aren’t all sharp angles and bold monochromes – some feature bright colours and intricate patterns. One of the most beautiful in the Royal Armouries collection is a small nineteenth century Indian dagger (object number XXVID.80), known as a ‘peshkabz’ (meaning ‘fore-grip’ in Persian), which is housed in a wooden scabbard covered with red velvet and hemmed in gilt braid. The hilt is decorated with scales of pink hardstone (which may be amethyst) over silver foil and polished emeralds in gold rivets, whilst the bolster and strip around the hilt features gold interlaced with an engraved floral pattern. It is an exquisite work of incredible artistry, and now inspires a vivid new collection of textiles, office supplies, and more.