Page 72 - Highlights of the Collection

Dagger with

a parrot-shaped pommel

India, Goa, ca. 1600
H. 27.1 cm, gold, emeralds, rubies, rock crystal, steel

This golden dagger, inlaid with rubies and emeralds,
has a rock-crystal handle in the shape of a parrot, a
common motif in Hindu and Deccan art of the 16th
and 17th centuries. An important trading centre for
artefacts made of hard and precious stones, Goa
Highlights of the Collection was full of goldsmiths and Indo-Portuguese stone

cutters who created works in a distinctive style. The
exceptional quality of this dagger suggests ceremonial
rather than daily use. It probably belonged to a high-
ranking person.
Louvre Abu Dhabi

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