Arm defence: O.171-1879

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

• Arm defence
• Indian weapons
• dastana

Categories

• Weapons

Description

Of steel, comprising a deep gutter-shaped plate rounded to the elbow, and a detached inner plate. The edge is bordered in the outside by a series of brass rivets retaining a black leather lining band which originally retained the lining, now lost. At the wrist of the main plate is a fragment of the hand defence, of red velvet studded with brass rivets, and on the inner plate is most of the hand defence. At the lower edge at the wrist of the main plate are two hinged strap loops, one retaining a modern leather strap, with decorative terminals, and on the outer edge is one matching hinge hasp, with two vacant rivet holes for the other one, which survives on the inner wrist plate, which has the two matching buckles. The exterior is bordered with floral scrolls in gold koftgari, the main plate originally set with eight flowers formed of red glass petals set in mastic on gold foil ground, of which two are entirely missing, one lacks one petal and one lacks three., the inner plate with four, all complete. The condition is rough, dirty and worn, and the remaining textile is fragmentary

Legal notes

Given by Robert Taylor, MA

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by Taylor, Robert, MA

Dating

19th Century, Late#
Circa 1860 CE - 1879 CE

Note

Taylor’s Cambridge 1879: gives 168–70, horsemen’s armlets.