Early ‘Kilij’ style Silvered Talwar

A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.

Details of this item

Price

€ 4.500

Status

Available

Region

South Asia (India, Sri-Lanka)
(Probably Deccan Plateau, India)

Period

17th/18th century

Materials

Steel, Iron, Silver, Leather

Price

€ 4.500

Status

Available

Region

South Asia (India, Sri-Lanka)

(Probably Deccan Plateau, India)

Period

17th/18th century

Materials

Steel, Iron, Silver, Leather

Description

Indian early talwar feature a fascinating variety of blade shapes and sizes. One such early blade type is the ‘Kilij’, which originates from Ottoman Turkey and surrounding regions. The ‘Kilij’ is a curved, single-edged sword with a narrow midsection. A distinctive feature that sets this blade apart from others is the yelman, a portion of the blade that broadens and has a double cutting edge.

Our example:

This is a finely crafted, relatively short talwar featuring an Islamic ‘hakim shani’ hilt, forged from steel and coated with a thick layer of gilded silver, an ornamentation commonly seen on Deccani arms. The hilt is notably large and skillfully executed, supporting the attribution to the 18th century. The blade is a classic ‘kilij’ type, predating the hilt fittings and likely dating from the late 16th to early 17th century. It is adorned with a series of grooves along the spine and bears false European armorer’s marks, a characteristic often found on swords from this period, such as corsair swords originating in Algeria and Morocco.

The scabbard is crafted from leather (recently restored) and is reinforced with two silver-sheeted rims that secure the locket and chape. Both fittings are embellished with a stylized lotus-shaped finial, which harmonizes beautifully with the openwork langets.

Early ‘Kilij’ style Silvered Talwar

Condition

Good condition, leather on scabbard restored.

Dimensions

Hilt length: 16cm

Blade length: 64cm

Blade spine thickness: 8.2mm

Scabbard length: 71cm

Total length: 81cm

Weight

1274g.

Comparable items

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam acc.nr. NG-NM-10412 (similar period blade)

Provenance

Dutch private collection

Literature

A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.
A 'Kilij' style talwar with thick silver plated hilt and fittings. Deccan plateau, India, blade early 17th century, fittings 18th century.