Lot 193
A Mughal gold koftgari steel Armour Suit (char-aina) India, 18th Century(4)
10 April 2008, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £6,600 inc. premium
Looking for a similar item?
Our Private & Iconic Collections and House Sales specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialistA Mughal gold koftgari steel Armour Suit (char-aina)
India, 18th Century
India, 18th Century
comprising four plaques, two rectangular ones shaped for the underarm, and two for front and back of body, very slightly curved, with incised and damascened decoration consisting of a panel of vines bearing leafy palmettes all within a gilt floral border, with trefoil-shaped buckles
23.2 x 29.2 cm. max.(4)
23.2 x 29.2 cm. max.(4)
Footnotes
It is rare to find a complete char-aina, 'the four mirrors'. In this case they are finely decorated with a design of classic Mughal arabesque motifs, inspired by designs on architectural stonework of the 17th Century.
For a similarly decorated char-aina, see H. J. Ricketts, Splendeurs des Armes Orientales, Exhibition Catalogue, 4th May-31st July 1988, no. 185; and also a plate of similar design can be seen in the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, (George Michell, The Majesty of Mughal Decoration, p. 130 and p. 279, no. 98.