A silver and gilt chakkra Sikh late 18th century and another
208
A Sikh inscribed silver and gilt Quoit
Northern India, early 19th Century
of circular form, with damascened inscription bands in gurmukhi script, on a ground of undulating vine and gold flower detail, the reverse with a series of small gold flowers on a similar ground with hatched edge; and another smaller quoit
larger outer circumference 27cm. diam; smaller 19.2cm. diam.(2)
Sold for £18,750 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • A similar example is illustrated in S. Stronge (ed.), The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, London 1999, p. 15, pl. 3.

    The quoit is a distinctive Sikh military weapon, fired like a discus or frisbee, or even spun on the forefinger before being released with a momentum that could dismember at a distance of 50 metres. As the decoration runs right to the extreme edge, these examples are unlikely to have been intended for regular use in battle, but are more likely to have been for ceremonial use as sharpening the edge would inevitably have removed some of the decoration.

Category: Islamic and Oriental Art / Islamic and Indian Art

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Matthew Thomas Bonhams
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Specialist - Islamic and Indian Art