After treatment Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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After treatment Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1959.203
Title
Katar (Punch-Dagger)
Classification
Weapons and Ammunition
Work Type
dagger
Date
18th-19th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216637

Location

Location
Level 2, Room 2590, South Asian Art, South Asia in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Steel, watered steel, and gold
Dimensions
41.91 cm (16 1/2 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Edwin L. Beckwith
Accession Year
1959
Object Number
1959.203
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
A katar is a punch-dagger that is native to South Asia. It consists of an H-shaped horizontal grip that results in the knuckles sitting just above the blade, which is triangular in shape. Here, the hilt, made of steel, has been stained brown and is decorated throughout with flowers in heavy gold false-damascening. The blade, made of watered steel, features an embossed fleur-de-lis at the base that leads to a medial rib with two adjacent fullers. The blade gets thicker towards the point, creating a profile that is distinct to an armor-piercing blade.

Exhibition History

  • Shadows of God On Earth: Arts of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Dynasties, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/21/1997 - 08/31/1997
  • Objects for a Kunstkammer: Early European Collecting, 1550-1700, Harvard University Art Museums, Busch-Reisinger Museum, 12/10/2005 - 11/19/2006
  • 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/06/2019 - 01/01/2050

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu