Enrica Medugno
Senior Sale Coordinator
Lot 106R
A Qajar gold-damascened steel axe with repoussé silver shaft Persia, circa 1900
12 November 2024, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £3,584 inc. premium
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Oliver White
Head of Department
A Qajar gold-damascened steel axe with repoussé silver shaft
Persia, circa 1900
Persia, circa 1900
the steel blade of crescent form chiselled and overlaid in gold with an inscription-filled lobed cartouche to each side and bands of vegetal motifs, the butt with a further inscription-filled lobed cartouche, the silver shaft engraved and decorated in repoussé with scrolling bands of figural scenes, the pommel with a band of openwork floral scrollwork and a further figure
71.5 cm. long
71.5 cm. long
Footnotes
Inscriptions: dar azal jebril gofta gofta (sic) az lesan-e kerdegar, 'In eternity Gabriel said through the tongue of the Omnipotent God'; la fata illa 'ali la sayf illa dhu'l-faqar, 'There is no youth (as brave as) 'Ali, There is no sword (as sharp as) Dhu'lfaqar'; signed 'amal-e 'ali, 'The work of 'Ali'.
For a comparable axe sold at Christie's South Kensington, see Indian & Islamic Works of Art & Textiles, 3 April 2009, lot 72.
Important Notice to Buyers
Some countries, e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of works of particular origins. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) and Syrian origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid on or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.