RAF 2519 - Mughal Animal-Head Khanjar

Serial Number: RAF2491

Status: Display

Description:
This Mughal-style dagger, known as a khanjar, features a curved blade and an animal-headed hilt. The blade exhibits a patterned surface reminiscent of Damascus steel, a term historically associated with high-carbon steel from the Near East, prized for its strength and distinctive watered appearance. While the original Damascus steel-making technique was lost around the mid-18th century, similar visual effects are now achieved through pattern welding. The hilt, carved in the form of an animal’s head, reflects a design popular among Mughal nobility during the 17th and 18th centuries. Such daggers were often symbols of rank and refinement, with hilts crafted from luxurious materials like jade or nephrite and shaped to depict creatures such as horses, goats, or rams. It was obtained by the AL Faraj Gallery on the 5th of October 2025