{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O84131"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84131/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MP7112/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MP7112/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MP7112","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MP6837","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1832","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1830","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1825","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1820","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1815","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1813","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1812","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1811","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB1806","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O84131/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O84131","accessionNumber":"3470&A/(IS)","objectType":"Knife","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This dagger was made in Lahore, as a Persian inscription overlaid in gold on the hilt (sakht-e Lahore) confirms. The gripshells of the hilt are made of elephant ivory and have been lightly indented with a hammer to make the surface slightly uneven and allow the hilt to be held securely in the hand. Lahore, the former northern capital of the Mughal empire, was a renowned centre for steel arms and armour from at least the 17th century. During the reign of the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1801-1839), the city's fortunes revived after more than a century of political upheaval and weapons of extremely high quality were made once more. This dagger was acquired in 1855 by the Indian Museum in London and was transferred to South Kensington in 1879.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Knife (<i>peshkabz</i>), with a chiselled and gold-overlaid watered steel blade, and hilt of walrus-ivory. With a dark brown leather sheath.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"steel","id":"AAT133751"},{"text":"tusk (walrus ivory)","id":"x38843"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"}],"techniques":[{"text":"forging (metal forming)","id":"AAT54033"},{"text":"overlay","id":"x44393"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Steel, overlaid with gold; walrus-ivory; leather","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2020MP7112","2020MP6837","2017KB1832","2017KB1830","2017KB1825","2017KB1820","2017KB1815","2017KB1813","2017KB1812","2017KB1811","2017KB1806"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES390055"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES390055"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"knife (weapon)","id":""}],[{"text":"Peshkabz","id":""}],[{"text":"Knife sheath","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lahore","id":"x30874"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1900-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Transferred from the India Museum in 1879","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"51.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"width at widest part","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"made in Lahore","transliteration":"sakht-e lahor","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"As originally arranged and displayed in Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, with some additions while in storage, case F.717\r\nIndian Museum, transferred to South Kensington in 1879.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Knife and sheath <i>peshkabz</i> with a chiselled and gold-overlaid watered steel blade and walrus-ivory hilt, Lahore, early 19th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"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.130","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 130, Cat. No. 622"}],"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":"DAGGER \r\nWatered steel blade overlaid with gold; the hilt elephant ivory\r\nLahore\r\nFirst half of the 19th century\r\n3470 (IS)\r\nThe blade has the fine watering, chiselling and gold overlaid decoration for which Lahore was renowned, and the form of the dagger is typical of Punjab. Its place of origin is not in doubt: a Persian inscription overlaid in gold on the hilt reads sakht-e Lahore, or ‘made in Lahore’. The elephant ivory hilt has been lightly dimpled with a hammer, presumably to allow it to be gripped more firmly. The dagger was acquired by the Indian Museum in London in 1855 and transferred to South Kensington in 1879.\r\n","date":{"text":"August 2017","earliest":"2017-08-01","latest":"2017-08-31"}}],"partNumbers":["3470(IS)","3470A/(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"3470","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Egerton Catalogue Number","id":"THES50387"},"number":"622"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","knife (weapon)","Knife sheath"],"assets":["2017KB3142"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-26","recordCreationDate":"2003-09-10","availableToBook":true}}