A jade-hilted chilanum dagger

Museum: Feldman Family Museum

The double-curved, double-edged blade is made of watered steel polished to a bright mirror finish. Two convex brackets at the base of the blade form a hollow socket to attach the hilt. The hilt is carved from one piece of pale celadon jade with an integral S-shaped knuckle-bow. The scalloped oval guard is carved from another piece of the same jade. The knuckle-guard finial and short quillons are shaped like stylized buds. The wooden scabbard covered with dark purple velvet, which is badly worn. The chape is carved from light gray jade with flowers in relief.

COMMENT. Chilanum is a type of Indian dagger, which is characterized by an elegant strongly waisted hilt and a slightly double-curved, double-edged blade with a reinforced tip and two or more fullers on each side. The hilt has a circular or oval guard, a forked base, a very narrow grip with a central spherical knop, and the forked or disc pommel is topped by a button. Occasionally there is a knuckle-bow. Traditionally, the hilt was made of steel together with a blade. The chilanum is considered one of the most archaic daggers of India. Although it is often called the Maratha dagger, it was popular in many regions of India and even in Nepal.

The blade and scabbard of this Mughal dagger were made most likely much later than hilt. The chilanum hilts are commonly made of steel, while the jade hilts are very rare. They become popular during the reign of the Mughal emperors Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and Shah Jahan (r. 1627-58). An identical hilt can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (inv. no. 632-1874). In addition, this museum stores a presentation chilanum with a very similar jade hilt but without a guard (inv. no. 3408A(IS)), which was owned by Maharaja Gulab Singh (1792-1857), the founder and first ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India. For some other similar-shaped jade hilts, see Hales, R. Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion. – London, 2013. – P. 19, no. 47; L’Art des Chevaliers en Pays d’Islam. Collection de la Furusiyya Art Foundation / Sous la Direction de B. Mohamed. – Milan, 2007. – P. 217, no. 208; Pinchot, O.S. Arms of the Paladins: The Richard R. Wagner Jr. Collection of Fine Eastern Weapons. – Woonsocket, Inc., 2014. – P. 45, fig. 3-84; Simon Ray: Indian & Islamic Works of Art. 1st November 2013 to 30th November 2013: [Catalogue]. – London, 2013. – P. 68, no. 229.

LITERATURE: 1) Treasures of Islam / Edited by T. Falk: [Exhibition Catalogue]. – Secaucus, New Jersey, 1985. – P. 310, no. 321; 2) Сіваченко Є. Холодна зброя Індії XVII-XIX століть із збірки Музею приватних колекцій Олександра Фельдмана: [каталог виставки]. – Харків, 2011. – С. 23. 3) Сиваченко Е. Сталь и Золото: Восточное оружие из собрания Feldman Family Museum = Steel and Gold: Eastern Weapons from the Feldman Family Museum Collection. – Киев, 2019. – С. 474-475, №191.