ICONIC NOVEMBER 2017 LONDON +44 (0)7866 424 803 [email protected] runjeetsingh.com INTRODUCTION This year marks the 20th anniversary of The gallery exhibition which this Asian Art in London and to mark the e-catalogue accompanies runs from the occasion I wanted to put on an exhibition 2nd of November to the 11th and takes of some importance. Entitled ICONIC, it place at 6 Ryder Street, London. It has will showcase highly desirable pieces that been designed by the talented London offer the viewer important inscriptions, architect Augustus Brown and I’m excited symbols and markings—all representative to say that this is probably my most in their own ways. ambitious gallery show yet. I hope to push the boundaries of presentation and These pieces have been sourced from all display these significant, beautiful items in over the West and, in many cases, have ways that I feel they deserve. come from collections that have been hidden away for many decades. It is my Lastly, as per tradition, and with great great pleasure to bring such items to light sincerity, I would like to offer my once more and I explore many theories appreciation to the numerous colleagues regarding these items within their and friends who have contributed descriptions. Some offer opportunities to the research and production of for further research and perhaps their this publication and its accompanying new owners might enjoy continuing exhibition. I also thank my family for their where I have left off. endless love, patience and support. CONTENTS Daggers 08 Swords 38 Firearms 66 Objects 76 Armour 82 Written by Runjeet Singh November 2017 All prices on request 9 1 GOLD JAMBIYA Weighty and richly decorated, this The scabbard’s mouth is covered Assib jambiya is made in the Meccan in maroon velvet, ensuring a quiet ARABIA, MEDINA style and, importantly, it is almost and elegant drawing and sheathing identical to two daggers which were of the dagger. (The same velvet is 19TH CENTURY famously worn by that eminent visible through some of the pierced figure of British history, Lawrence work above the diagonal band.) OVERALL 320 MM of Arabia.1 The scabbard’s tip sweeps gracefully upwards until it terminates in a large, The I-shaped grip, typical of this striated thum, or pommel. weapon-type, is made of silver and has been generously gilded. It has The blade itself is forged from two rosette-shaped buttons with high quality wootz steel—a rare pronounced central hemispheres, feature—and one that further set against elegantly engraved foliate indicates that this dagger was made scrolls; with the rear showing a for an important man with refined scaled pattern. The grip concludes tastes. Alexander2 describes a with an attractive domed boss at Meccan dagger in the Metropolitan each end of the pommel’s two tips. Museum’s collection (31.35.1a-c) The scabbard’s design is in keeping that is a very close relative to our with the above and presents a series example—it is likely that both were of beaded bands that border a made in the same workshop. complex, beautiful arrangement of openwork motifs. Eyelets on either Provenance side provide the means to attach the Private American collection. jambiya to a belt while a diagonal band bisects the scabbard’s front. References Above this, a small inscription in 1. Arabic reads: Elgood, The Arms and Armour of Arabia: In the 18th–19th and 20th Centuries, 1994, p.73, no.9.7 and no.9.9. 2. Alexander (contributions by Pyhrr and Kwiatkowski), Islamic Arms and Armor “Work of ‘Abd Allah Rukhan (Ruhan?).” in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, p.226, no.91. 12 2 BELTED JAMBIYA Originating from Sana’a, Yemen, On the scabbard there are verses this splendidly ornamented jambiya attributed to the uncle of the SANA’A, YEMEN dates from the late 19th or early Prophet Muhammad, Hamza ibn 20th century and was probably ‘Abd al-Mutallib: 19TH – 20TH CENTURY made in the Jewish quarter known as Qaa’al-Yahud (or simply Qaa)3. BELT 270 MM It boasts a higher quality than most, DAGGER 270 MM with the wooden scabbard finished with a large iron thouma that is decorated with silver and gold. The broad leather belt is lavishly adorned too, being stitched with gold and silver thread—the same precious materials used to decorate its iron mounts. “Since Ahmad Mustafa is obeyed among us, Both the purse-shaped mount on Do not defame him with the belt and the scabbard’s thouma violent speech, have pierced borders of beautiful For, by God, we shall not hand Arabic calligraphy, and around the him over to any people, belt-mount there is a hemistich Until we have first perforated from the Qasidat al-Burda of al-Busiri them with our swords.” (d. 1294): The dagger is mounted on the inside of the belt and this was typical of these daggers and the way the males in Yemen wore them. The hilt is of horn, decorated with a series of silver nails, a feature found on “Whoever has the assistance of the earlier jambiyas from San’a, such Prophet of God, as one now in the Nationalmuseet, If the lion should encounter him in the Copenhagen4 and purchased by the jungle, it will be meek before him.” Danish orientalist Niebuhr in 1763. The blade itself is of the typically wide form associated with Yemeni examples, and has a raised central rib. Provenance European art market. References 3. Elgood, The Arms and Armour of Arabia, 1994, p.88. 4. Elgood, The Arms and Armour of Arabia, 1994, p.87, fig.9.36. 15 3 BEDOK CHOPPER This chopping tool is known as a SIDE B bedok and comes to us from Java. (again, possibly to be read from JAVA It is likely to be derived from the bottom upwards): that traditional Indonesian 19TH OR 20TH CENTURY machete-sword called the golok. Van Zonneveld includes two OVERALL 300 MM examples of the bedok in his important work Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago “From the East and the West…a (see p.24, nos.70 and 71), describing wind and a cloud, and Gabriel (Jibra'il) them with the term bendo—an old and Michael (Mikha'il) and Israfil and classification widely thought to be 'Azra'il and King Solomon.” inaccurate now. The scabbard has an ebony This example, perhaps the finest I throat-piece with a carefully chased have seen, has a horn handle carved lower border, and this sits against in the form of a bird’s head and is in a main body that is made of red- the manner of many wooden goloks brown wood with white-metal originating from Tjipatjing, a known mounts. A belt hook projects from centre of production in the West of one side. Java. The bird’s upper beak whorls inward to form a curlicue while With such substantial and practical layered feathers cover the handle’s properties married to a design of rear. The short, wide-bellied blade high elegance, it is likely that this has been manufactured to a high piece was made for somebody of standard, with a temper line running high regard in Javanese culture. the length of its edge. A wide fuller sits on each side near the spine and Provenance provides a background for Arabic UK art market. inscriptions that are wonderfully executed and probably talismanic in nature: SIDE A (possibly to be read from the bottom upwards): “O God (?), indeed he entered… safely and King Solomon (Sulayman) from the East and the West (?), in his essence, attributes, deeds, powers and well-being.” 16 4 NAYAK This important dagger blade was The central motif on the blade is DAGGER BLADE probably made for Thirumalai Nayak a form of yali or vyala—a fabulous who, from 1623 to 1659 ruled the lion-faced beast or leogryph, and a ancient city of Madurai on the Vaigai symbol of bravery associated with MADURAI, INDIA River in the southern Indian state of great warriors and kings. The beast 17TH CENTURY Tamil Nadu. crouches at the blade’s base, facing the tip, its mouth gaping beneath a OVERALL 250 MM Two other daggers made for the long, curling nose. The winged body Nayak ruler are known. One beckons the eye along the undulating was sold by Spink of London and tail that meanders beautifully published in their 1986 catalogue towards the tip in a way the birds on Octagon (later to be sold by Simon the other Nayak daggers do not. All Ray—see his book Indian and Islamic three of these blades share enough Works of Art, 2011, p.40); while commonalities to suggest they the other was published in the were made by the same hand or important 2004 work by Robert workshop: the cross-hatched wings, Elgood, Hindu Arms and Ritual (p.174, the scaled bodies, the positions of nos.16 and 23) and sold by Sotheby’s the birds—they are all the same. of New York, 24th September 1997. Elgood commented that at the time It is likely that this blade was made of writing his example was the only to be worn during less formal events, one known to him. and could have been presented to a close family member of the king. The connection to the Nayak ruler Thirumalai Nayak was a patron was established by the re-discovery of fine arts and architecture, and of the Spink dagger (and its a painted portrait statue, with provenance) by Ray. Both examples his queens, is illustrated in Vidya mentioned are almost identical, and Dehejia’s Indian Art have intricately carved ivory handles.