sword stick

Indian swordstick, Gupti. The steel “stick” is decorated with silver scrolls in koftgari work, and it unscrews to reveal a long slender blade. Identical work is commonly found on the eponymous “Bhuj”.

Note: koft = gold, koftgar = the craftsman inlaying or decorating with gold [or silver], koftgari = the gold or silver decorated work produced. Guptis are mostly an expression of the Indian delight in mechanical oddities, rather than any practical innovation. See Stone for Gupti and Bhuj; and see Watt pp.42-52 for koftgari. G.C. Stone “A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armour in all countries and in all times� Southworth Press 1934 (and subsequent reprints). Sir G. Watt “Indian Art at Delhi 1903. Being the official catalogue of the Delhi Exhibition, 1902-1903�, Calcutta 1903.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
nn18556.2
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 784 mm x 23 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
iron
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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Collection Information

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