{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O84176"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84176/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MN4646/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MN4646/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MN4646","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA5025","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA5023","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA5021","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BY4617","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O84176/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O84176","accessionNumber":"3391&A/(IS)","objectType":"Sword and sheath","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This sword was acquired by the Indian Museum in London in 1855 as being from Lahore, and probably dates from the 18th century. When published by Lord Egerton of Tatton, in his book Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896 (p. 131, Cat. No. 646), it was described as 'The sword of Rustum, an heir-loom of the Durrani family. Procured by the Maharaja Runjit Sing [Maharaja Ranjit Singh, r. 1801-39] from Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk, the last of the race'. The sketchy accession details preserved in the V&A simply state that this was acquired by the Indian Museum in 1855 as being from Lahore, with no reference to the Afghan Durrani dynasty. It is not clear where Egerton acquired this additional information.\r\n Ranjit Singh acquired many precious artefacts from the deposed Afghan ruler Shah Shuja, including the Koh-i nur diamond which he demanded in exchange for freeing the shah from captivity in Kashmir. The spurious association is with the legendary Iranian hero of the 10th century Persian epic Shah-Nama, or ‘Book of Kings’.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"forging (metal forming)","id":"AAT54033"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2020MN4646","2009CA5025","2009CA5023","2009CA5021","2009BY4617"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES389829"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES389830"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sword","id":""}],[{"text":"Talwar","id":""}],[{"text":"Sword sheath","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lahore","id":"x30874"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"18th century to 19th century","earliest":"1700-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Transferred from the India Museum in 1879","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"810","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sword","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"160","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"hilt","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"90","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"hilt","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"60","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"hilt","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"720","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheath","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheath","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"25","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","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.708.\r\nBefore this it was in the Indian Museum, transferred to South Kensington in 1879. According to Egerton, this was  'The sword of Rustum, an heir-loom of the Durrani family. Procured by the Maharaja Runjit Sing from Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk, the last of the race'. This probably reflects information available at the time from the Indian Museum: the slip book entry (8515) simply states that it came from Lahore, in 1[8]55.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sword and sheath (talwar) with a polished watered steel blade with gilt and panelled bas-relief ornament on the guarded hilt, and a crimson velvet sheath with brocade waistbelt, Lahore.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 131, Cat. No. 646"},{"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.131","free":""}],"production":"Asserted by Egerton to be the Sword of Rustum, heirloom of the Durrani family, acquired by Maharaja Ranjit Singh from Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk. Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879. This information is not in the slip book.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Sabre tulwar: Watered steel blade, gilt relief-decorated hilt, crimson velvet sheath, gold mounts, brocade waistbelt with repeating stylised plant motif, mainly gold on natural between red & yellow border, Lahore.\r\n3391 I.S.","date":{"text":"pre 1993","earliest":null,"latest":"1992-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["3391(IS)","3391A/(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"3391","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Egerton Catalogue Number","id":"THES50387"},"number":"646"},{"type":{"text":"India Museum Slip Book","id":"THES50388"},"number":"8515-'50"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Sword","Sword sheath"],"assets":["2017KC4736","2017KC4805","2020MN9724"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-10-15","recordCreationDate":"2003-09-11","availableToBook":false}}