-
1 of 253523 objects
Arm guards eighteenth century
Steel, gold, diamonds, pearls, velvet, silk | 48.2 x 11.5 x 9.5 cm (average amongst members) | RCIN 11496
-
A pair of steel armguards or dastana overlaid with gold floral designs with trefoil borders. The gauntlets are made of green velvet encrusted with diamonds, pearls and gold thread embroidery called zardozi. The gauntlets are lined with pink silk. The armguards are held together with hinge pins and two buckles with straps.
A combination of textile and steel plate armour was worn as armour in parts of India as textile allowed for freer movement and was more comfortable to wear in the Indian climate.
Provenance
Presented to King Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, during his tour of India in 1875-76 by Jayajirao Scindia, Maharaja of Gwalior. The Prince visited Gwalior on 31 January–1 February 1876, and the Maharaja held a military review in honour of the Prince's visit. The opulence of the Maharaja's court was recorded by William Howard Russell, writer of the official tour diary, who noted that many of the Maharaja's soldiers and attendants wore jewel-encrusted armour. The Maharaja himself wore 'a scarlet tunic, with gold facings, diamonds and gems…his cap blazing with jewels and ornamented with an egret plume from a diamonds socket'.
-
Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
-
Medium and techniques
Steel, gold, diamonds, pearls, velvet, silk
Measurements
48.2 x 11.5 x 9.5 cm (average amongst members)
