Mughal Silver Bird-shaped Dagger

A beautifulMughal silver bird-shaped dagger, whose grip and bottom are shaped into bird heads head. The decoration presents vegetal motifs and a reticular pattern on the neck of the birds, realised with the niello technique. The dagger presents a curved watered-steel blade. Daggers of this type were initially reserved for the Mughal court and were used as exclusive gift objects, a custom that still exists in the Indian state Rajasthan. The became enormously

popular in the Qing Court in China, where they were imported from India as exquisite luxury items.