{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O67639"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67639/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MP9903/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MP9903/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MP9903","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB7211","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB7210","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1824","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1823","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1821","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1819","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1818","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1817","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1814","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1810","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O67639/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O67639","accessionNumber":"111-1888","objectType":"Axe","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The head of this saddle-axe (tabarzin) is made of watered steel, overlaid with gold. The chiselled design of a hawk swooping down on its prey, perhaps a heron, is directly inspired by similar saddle-axes of an early 18th century Iranian craftsman called Lotf’ali. A number of his signed and dated weapons are known, including one in the V&A (111-1896). The chiselling here lacks the vigour and tension of the Iranian master’s work, and the signature with date, 1150/1737-8, is undoubtedly not his. This suggests that the saddle-axe  was made as a forgery, probably in Lahore, intended to deceive a connoisseur who was familiar with the name of the great Iranian master. The silver-covered shaft is probably early 19th century work and the axehead probably dates to the same period, or perhaps slightly earlier. ","physicalDescription":"Chiseled watered steel saddle axe, inlaid with gold, with a spiral decoration on the haft, inscribed amal-e Lotf'ali 1150, ie work of Lotf'ali 1737-8","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lotf 'Ali","id":"A6253"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"spurious"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"steel","id":"AAT133751"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Crucible forged steel, chiseled and decorated with gold overlay","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2020MP9903","2017KB7211","2017KB7210","2017KB1824","2017KB1823","2017KB1821","2017KB1819","2017KB1818","2017KB1817","2017KB1814","2017KB1810"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES389862"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Saddle Axe","id":""}],[{"text":"Tabarzin","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lahore","id":"x30874"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1850-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bought (Source not recorded)","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"58.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Overall","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Width of axe head","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"inlay (process)","position":"On the Axe head","script":"","translation":"work of Lotf'ali 1150/1737-8","transliteration":"amal-e Lotf'ali 1150","type":"","note":"On the underside of the axe-head, next to the socket"},{"content":"'Lotf 'Ali'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"inlay (process)","position":"On the Axe head","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the Axe head; inlay (process)"},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""},{"content":" ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Acquired as 'Battle Axe or Horseman's Hammer.... Persian. 17th or 18th c. Bought 5l.'\r\n\r\nBought (Source not recorded). This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chiselled watered steel saddle axe (tabarzin), with gold inlay and spiral fluting on the haft, inscribed, probably Lahore, Pakistan, early 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"A.S. Melikian-Chirvani, 'The tabarzins of Lotf'ali', in Elgood, Robert (ed). <u>Islamic Arms and Armour</u>. London: Scolar Press, 1979. ISBN 0 85967 470 3. pp. 116-135, illus. figs 142-5."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anthony North, <u>An Introduction to Islamic Arms</u>, London 1985, fig. 40a, p.42"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"L.A. Mayer, <i>Islamic Armourers and Their Works</i>, Geneva: Albert Kundig, 1962, p.49 & 50."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"SADDLE AXE\r\nWatered steel, chiselled and overlaid with gold\r\nLahore\r\nEarly 19th century\r\n111-1888\r\nThe axe-head has a gold inscription claiming it was made by an 18th century Iranian craftsman called Lotf’ali, with the date 1150 of the Muslim era (1737-8AD). A number of Lotf’ali’s signed weapons are known, including one with a similar design of a hawk swooping down on its prey. By comparison, the chiselling here lacks the vigour and tension of the Iranian master’s work. It was probably made as a forgery by Lahore’s skilled armourers, intended to deceive a connoisseur who knew Lotf’ali’s name. \r\n","date":{"text":"August 2017","earliest":"2017-08-01","latest":"2017-08-31"}}],"partNumbers":["111-1888"],"accessionNumberNum":"111","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1888,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-03","recordCreationDate":"2002-09-23","availableToBook":false}}