Lot 394 A MUGHAL PUNCH DAGGER OR KATAR, INDIA 18TH CENTURY
Reference: ART3007674
A silver-inlaid katar, its hilt fitted with sidebars and grips, represents an ancient Indian dagger type known variously as a katar (piercing dagger) or jamadhar (death tooth). Designed to be gripped in the fist, it delivered a lethal punching strike and served both in warfare and the hunt. Ingeniously crafted, some examples feature a mechanism in which squeezing the grip causes the blade to split, revealing a hidden central blade.
Length 41 cm.