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1. Talwar engraved with images of the ten avatars of Vishnu
Rajasthan
19th century
Sword: 34 ¼ in. (87 cm.) long
In scabbard: 36 ¼ in. (92 cm.) long
Talwar engraved with images of the ten avatars of Vishnu
Detail: hilt

The Indian saber or talwar consists of a curved blade and an all-metal hilt with disc-shaped pommel and integral quillons. This distinctive Indo-Muslim hilt has its origins in medieval western India, while the increasing influence of the Turco-Mongol dynasties in the late Medieval period led to greater use of curved swords. The marriage of these arms practices gave rise to the talwar, which became the most popular sword on the Subcontinent by Mughal times.

Here, the finely-decorated hilt incorporates pointed langets, a centrally swollen grip, and disc pommel, all of which has been overlaid with elaborate gold floral designs. The knob protruding from the pommel has been pierced to allow for a wrist strap cord that is embroidered with eight-point star designs. A deep blue velvet scabbard with gold chape accompanies the sword. For a comparable 19th-century gold-embellished hilt, see the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, acc. 112-1852. Note the similarities in the pointed langets, convex quillon ends, centrally swollen grip, disc-shaped pommel with knob, and intricate foliate designs.

The present wootz steel blade is engraved with the ten avatars of Vishnu: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narasimha (the man-lion), Vamana (the dwarf-god), Parasurama (Brahman warrior), Lord Rama (the perfect man), Lord Krishna (the divine statesman), Balarama (Krishna’s elder brother), and Kalki (the mighty warrior prophesied to end the Kali Yuga). Although the decoration of this blade is quite unique, another example of a talwar blade displaying Vishnu’s ten avatars resides in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (acc. 3418&A/(IS)).

Detail: blade
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