A fine south Indian copper-hilted steel dagger (bichuwa)
probably Tanjore, 16th/ 17th Century
the double-edged steel blade of curved form with raised central spine and widening towards the point, the copper hilt with thin grip overlaid with rosette to the centre, the handguard in the form of a two-headed bird, the feathered tails and serpentine necks intertwined, the makara heads clutching elephants, palmettes at the forte, the pommel in the form of a crown with bud finial
31.5 cm. long
Footnotes:
The handguard of the present lot incorporates the gandabherunda, a legendary bird in Hindu mythology usually depicted clutching elephants in its beaks to demonstrate its immense magical strength. The Gold varaha and half varaha coins from the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire between 1530 and 1542, depict the same mythical beast clutching elephants. The Wodeyars of Mysore also adopted the symbol during the reign of Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617). A similar but less fine bichuwa is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Accession No. 36.25.779), whilst a fine gem-set example is illustrated in Robert Hales, Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour, Farnham, 2013, p. 54, no. 54.