Katar (punch dagger) with sheath
ca. 1700-1900
In battle, a warrior often held a pair of katar, one in each hand, using them to attack adversaries and to parry other weapons. Unique to India, the form was also favored as a courtly accoutrement worn tucked into a man’s sash or riding boot. This bejeweled example includes the name of a raja (ruler) written in gold on the flat undersurface opposite the blade tip.
Steel and steel with overlaid gold; rubies, emeralds set in gold; sheath of cotton with silk and metal-wrapped thread embroidery
3 1/8 x 17 7/8 x 3/4 in. (7.94 x 45.4 x 1.91 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Floyd D. Shank
65.142
Provenance: [William H. Wolff, Inc., New York]; purchased from gallery by Seattle Art Museum (funds from Mrs. Floyd C. Shank), September 27, 1965
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
