{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O158360"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158360/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PT0306/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PT0306/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PT0306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PT0308","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LC2682","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O158360/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O158360","accessionNumber":"3327 (IS)","objectType":"Sword","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The 'gauntlet' form of the hilt of this sword is typical of that found in the Deccan and further south in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is of made of the watered steel for which the south of India was famous. It is deeply chiselled with animals, real and mythical, and may have been made in one of the Deccan sultanates like Bijapur, where similar motifs may be found on architecture. These would originally have been overlaid with gold, of which traces remain. The European blade has traces of an inscription as well as the 'orb and cross' mark used by the bladesmiths of Solingen in Germany. The sword was acquired by the Indian Museum, London, in 1867 as being possibly from Indore.","physicalDescription":"Watered steel, the hilt chiselled in relief and overlaid with gold leaf and lined with cotton; the European blade has traces of an inscription and the 'orb and cross' mark used by the bladesmiths of Solingen in Germany.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watered steel, chislled hilt","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2026PT0306","2026PT0308","2018LC2682"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SR001","id":"THES404105"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Gauntlet sword","id":""}],[{"text":"Pata","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Deccan","id":"x31972"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly Bijapur"},{"place":{"text":"Solingen","id":"x34896"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"blade: possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"first quarter of 17th century","earliest":"1600-01-01","latest":"1625-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Transferred from the India Museum in 1879","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"135","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx.","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"As originally arranged and displayed in Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, with some additions while in storage, case F.706","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Gauntlet sword (pata), of watered steel, the hilt chiselled in relief and overlaid with gold leaf and lined with cotton; the European blade with traces of an inscription and the 'orb and cross' mark used by the bladesmiths of Solingen in Germany; Deccan, possible Bijapur; Hilt and Blade both first half of the 17th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 110, Cat. No. 403"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Rawson, P.S., The Indian Sword, London, Herbert Jenkins, 1968, p.44-5, fig.22."},{"reference":{"text":"Egerton, Wilbraham, <i>An illustrated handbook of Indian arms; being a classified and descriptive catalogue of the arms exhibited at the India museum: with an introductory sketch of the military history of India</i>, London, 1880","id":"AUTH353483"},"details":"p.110","free":""}],"production":"Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"GAUNTLET SWORD:  Watered steel, the hilt chiselled in relief and overlaid with gold leaf and lined with cotton; the European blade with traces of an inscription and the 'orb and cross' mark used by the bladesmiths of Solingen in Germany; Deccan, possibly Bijapur; hilt and Blade both first half of the 17th century.","date":{"text":"Nehru Gallery, 2001","earliest":"2001-01-01","latest":"2001-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["3327(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"3327","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Egerton Catalogue Number","id":"THES50387"},"number":"403"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-21","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-03","availableToBook":false}}