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A long and narrow sharp metal point with a simple, thin black handle. The object is standing straight up.

A long and narrow sharp metal point with a simple, thin black handle. The handle is about half of the length of the point and the entire object is straight. There is a simple arc decoration at the base of the point. The object is standing straight up on a grey background.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1941.297
Title
Spearhead
Classification
Weapons and Ammunition
Work Type
spearhead
Date
17th-18th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Rajasthan
Period
Safavid period
Culture
Persian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/230275

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
Watered steel, gold
Dimensions
45 cm (17 11/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Francis H. Burr Memorial Fund
Accession Year
1941
Object Number
1941.297
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
The spearhead consists of two parts. The blade, made of watered steel, features three fullers on each side that run nearly the entire length of the blade. The blade itself is long, thin, and comes to a very sharp, fine point. The blade is welded between two large trefoils at the top of the base. The base is made of a hollowed, single piece of steel that would have been fitted to a wooden haft. It is faceted into nine sections with the top and bottom of each section decorated with trefoils. The trefoils on the bottom are missing gold inlay, while only two at the top are missing it. The top and bottom trefoils flank a long, lobed cartouche shape. The at the bottom of the base on the backside is a small hole that would have held a screw, attaching the spearhead to the haft.


Exhibition History

  • Islamic Art: The Power of Pattern, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 09/23/1989 - 01/17/1990
  • Arabesque, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 12/01/1990 - 03/24/1991
  • Shadows of God On Earth: Arts of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Dynasties, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/21/1997 - 08/31/1997
  • 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