
Asian arms in Dutch master paintings
Dutch masters' fascination with exotic Asian wares shown in a series of paintings.
Early Mughal kapwah
An over 400-year-old Mughal court dagger. Once lavishly decorated with gold.
Rajput katar with rubies and diamonds
Of steel construction with gold overlay. Of a type produced in Rajasthan in the early 1800s.
Silver chevron katar
All the designs being true inlay, with almost no losses.
Garsoee katar
An enigmatic type of katar produced in various places in India.
Indian jade hilted dagger
With wootz blade and the jade hilt set with small rubies.
Gilt-copper hilted kard
Fine Indian kard with gilt copper alloy hilt, decorated with chiseled flowers.
Ganga Jamni decorated kard
Ganga - Jamni refers to the rivers of the Ganges and Jamna. It was used to describe metalwork done in contrasting colors, usually gold and silver, in inlay or overlay work.
Pamor
Indonesian word for pattern on a steel blade. Also the name of the nickel often used for a contrasting effect.
Bali straight keris
With fine flaming pamor blade and notched "cekah redut" hilt.
Balinese keris blade finishing
The Balinese keris is known for its smooth finish with starkly contrasting black iron and silver pamor. This article gives an eye witness account of how this was achieved.
Bali buntel mayat keris
Bali keris with fine slanted wrapped pamor, considered to be one of the most powerful pamor.
European sword blade keris
In the style of a Malay keris panjang.
A fine Korean eunjangdo
With all silver construction, including the blade.
Shimosaka o-tantō
N.B.T.H.K. Hozon with a set of Nanban-style koshirae with signed tsuba.
Southern katar with yali langets
Of a style often associated with Tanjore, the seat of the Vijayanagara empire.
Southern katar with thick point
The blade with an extremely thick point on a very thin blade.
Double bladed katar
Also called jamdhar doulicaneh. Forged from a single piece of steel, complete with scabbard.
Northern wootz katar
With different types of decor on either side of the hilt.
Vijayanagara hooded katar
With crisp, extremely very well-preserved wootz blade.
Sword hilted khukurī
A rarer variety with a hilt that takes inspiration from the kora and talwar.
Fine African Bedja dagger
These handsome daggers were worn by the nomadic Hadendoa people, their name has been interpreted as meaning "Lion Clan".
Slender chilanum dagger
Of elegant form with very crisp blade.
Sinhalese pihiya
A beautiful black coral hilted example, made in the King's workshops.
Jade bamboo hilted knife
With spinach green jade handle and carved buffalo horn scabbard.
Silver hilted keris coteng
A textbook example of this rare and early type of keris.
16th century left-hand dagger
Nice European parrying dagger, possibly German or Swiss.
Si euli / Si oli
A type of knife from the North of Nias.
Chinese ring pommeled knife
Of a type used by bandits, brigands, pirates, and the like.
Kanetuhu / Etuhu
Ainu words for the point of a knife or sword.
Notak
Ainu word for the edge of a sharp tool like a knife.
Mekkashike
Ainu word for the back of a knife, or sword. Also the ridge of a mountain or house.
Makiri-saya
Ainu word for the scabbard of a utility knife called makiri.
Makiri-nip
Ainu word for a knife handle.
Ibehe
Ibehe is an Ainu word for a knife or sword blade.
Makiri-ibe
Ainu word for knife blade.
Rare Ainu kuttom-ushbe
A luxury Ainu knife styled after the Japanese tantō.
Unusual Ainu knife
Resembling a makiri but with the blade's edge on the opposite side.
Ainu knife
Of a typical style used in Hokkaido in the 19th century.
Bark wrapped Ainu makiri
A slender makiri with a bark wrapped scabbard.
Fine Ainu makiri
An exceptionally well-carved Ainu knife.
North Nias si euli
A peculiar type of knife worn in the north of Nias.
Knives and swords of the Ainu
19th-century ethnographers noticed that they had no iron production and relied solely on trade for articles like knives and swords. However, archaeologists found iron working facilities in 1988 and 1990.
Kuttom-ushbe
Ainu word for a long knife worn in the belt.
Makiri
Ainu word for a knife.
Khmer dagger
A rare thousand-year-old dagger from the Khmer empire.
Gilt Ottoman made sabiki
The long version of the jambiya, with blackened, gold inlaid blade.
Balinese keris of Ferdinand Blok
The 9-luk blade of strong proportions is engraved with the face of a demon.
Rare beladau lebar dagger
A rare type of dagger from South Kalimantan, loosely based on Islamic daggers seen worn by traders.