Elaborate South Indian fighting dagger Katar. Very early type of Indian katar with closing steelcover for the hand. High quality damascus blade with original hand polish to thicknes of a paper. Steel cover is downturning and forming an attacking tiger head. These daggers were very popular in the late 16th century and especially in Tanjore.

Our dagger is a classic form of a dagger called Vijayanagara katar and most porpably it was used in the big wars during the reign of Raghunätha Nayaka 1600-1634. Culmination war of His reign was fougt in Toppur 1616. India was very traditional in the fighting styles of a different kind of special edged and blunt weapons, and katars like this stayed in the battlefields throughout the centuries. The form of katars was simplified during 17th century and untill 19th century katars were better known as a push daggers having just a crosshandles without any real cover for the hand.

See. Metropolitan museum no 36.25.905 type and form exactly like ours dateed by the museum to second half of the 16th century. Pictured in Hindu arms and ritual by Robert Elgood. Lenght 51cm width of the blade 6cm
2400eur