λ A GOLD-INLAID SAFAVID KARD DAGGER WITH MARINE IVORY HILT
Iran, late 17th century

With a straight single-edged wootz steel blade, the forte engraved with an elegant trellis of split palmettes and enhanced with a gold-damascened cusped cartouche with Quranic calligraphic inscriptions, invocations, and the numeral '101', the numerical 'abjad form for Imam 'Ali, the walrus ivory panels fitted to the steel tang with four brass studs and secured with several strands of rope-twisted silver thread, the tang and ricasso with gold-damascened and plain calligraphic cartouches with prayers and auspicious blessings, and stylised vegetal sprays running all around the handle, 27.5cm long.

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