r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/DeathCape • 23h ago

Image Indian dagger with openwork blade and carved ivory handle from Madurai, 1600s.

Post image
21.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

275 comments sorted by

1.6k

u/woodwolff 23h ago

The artwork is truly breathtaking.

Details are something else.

474

u/sambar_samurai 22h ago

Make Maximalism mainstream again

66

u/blah_bleh-bleh 15h ago

Maximalism is still the aesthetic of choice here India. That’s why most of indian fashion houses are into maximalism.

51

u/Dildondo 20h ago

Where is the line between gaudy and maximalism?

130

u/plastic_alloys 20h ago

Attempting maximalism today can easily become gaudy unless your budget is really high, simply because most stuff is shit now so amplifying the amount of shit can really get out of hand

29

u/OldWar1111 20h ago

Great point. More of shit is more of shit. The quality of the pieces needs to be individually high if you want to put it all together.

6

u/gggg_man3 18h ago

Are you talking about the current state of the White House?

12

u/plastic_alloys 16h ago

Oh Jesus, every single appliqué in there could be solid gold and it would still look cheap. In the good timeline that man fails at his original used car salesman gig and switches to interior design. He makes a modest living helping tacky old bints source Chinese frills to spray paint and glue onto their walls

15

u/Mysterious_Camel_717 20h ago

Quality and taste. Bad quality materials will always look gaudy/tacky. Tasteless, overly ostentatious designs also lose the appeal

5

u/OldWar1111 20h ago

In the times and in the mind. Same as between minimalism and death.

2

u/TheHookahJedi- 13h ago

Each piece should have its own personality

2

u/peaaaaaanut 9h ago

Class differences unfortunately

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u/Jivaah 22h ago

Truly, it'd be an honor, just to be scratched with it

26

u/woodwolff 22h ago

Nah, just stab me in my heart.

22

u/Jivaah 22h ago

No no i ain't worth that much

17

u/woodwolff 21h ago

Man, that's just a poetic way of appreciating beauty.

a poetic liar can steal many hearts.

6

u/Jivaah 19h ago

You sir stole mine and I'm gonna steal that line if you don't mind terribly

1

u/acid1phreak 3h ago

I beg your finest pardon?

2

u/Sysyphus_aint_happy 18h ago

I feel like I've been stabbed in the heart, just how much betrayal can I take?

2

u/woodwolff 18h ago

3 Massive Big Gigantic Inches

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17

u/Sensitive-Plate-684 19h ago edited 19h ago

It has the monkey warrior Hanuman on the blade, and Ganesha and Vasuki (Vasuki, along with symbolizing the kundalini chakra, is also one of the eight great dragons of Japan and China), on the hilt. The knife is meant to serve as a symbol of strength and wisdom, I would guess.

7

u/moonchylde 19h ago

I zoomed in based on this comment.

I am now very confused at what is going on in this plot.

4

u/BANKRUPTCY-EXPERT 18h ago

Turn the phone upside down, it gives a better picture.

2

u/moonchylde 18h ago

No, the tentacle vine thing is still coming out of the dogs butt, even upside down.

1

u/Apprehensive-Pick172 20h ago

If someone used this continuously in battles then then the carving would wear out and the blade looks like it would break on first impact.

I am greatful that they decided to only use it as a showpiece

3

u/tamed__impala 16h ago

It's not for battle it's a ceremonial dagger

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1.7k

u/Inevitable-World7706 23h ago

British museum enters the chat

496

u/SabAccountBanKarDiye 22h ago

Now I know why they made 2. One for Indian museum one for British.

150

u/Ok-Proof7287 22h ago

And they still took all. Infact 1 is in Paris, France.

107

u/TheBlockChainVillage 22h ago

Indian museum on Oxford Street?

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53

u/Rough_Tap9008 21h ago edited 21h ago

Nobody knows anymore how to do a reverse image search? It's on display in the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
https://collection.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/object/royal-dagger-carved-with-hindu-figures

This ceremonial dagger, made in southern India for Thirumalai Nayak (r. 1623–1659), ruler of Madurai, constituted an offering to a Hindu temple. The carved ivory handle is entirely covered in leaf and bead motifs and tiny elephants. The pommel is in the shape of a yali, a mythical protective creature of the Hindu religion, lion, horse and elephant at the same time, with bird-like features. Fearsome even though never intended for use, the openwork blade is finely chased with phytomorphic tracery and mythical birds. At its base, the god Shiva brandishes a trident and tramples on a dwarf demon as a sign of the king’s power over people and animals.

110

u/joshrealer 21h ago

It’s a joke mate, considering how much the British have looted from India and now present in their museums.

16

u/Lavatis 16h ago

How is it that we don't have a word for people who seriously reply to jokes?

4

u/kamilo87 15h ago

Please come up with one so we can follow thru…

4

u/r_special_ 14h ago

How about we call them “Literalists”

They didn’t get the joke and replied as if they understood the literal meaning

8

u/Iammjustbaddd 12h ago

Seems like a slur maybe whooshis.

3

u/koala_on_a_treadmill 7h ago

a whooshi cushion !!

5

u/vin20 16h ago

Funnily it's in Louvre Abu Dhabi.

7

u/XTY-080-YTX 21h ago

For auction

3

u/RobotechRicky 13h ago

British museum breaths heavily

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106

u/Extremepleasurepro 23h ago

It looks tempting to get stabbed by

31

u/Its6969 23h ago

I don't think it's meant as a weapon. Most likely a showpiece which ancient Indian kings used to flex

13

u/osmlol 22h ago

Still would slide right into a belly all smooth like.

2

u/Throwaway_LostKid 20h ago

Yes, it looks ceremonial. Wouldn't have been of much use in actual warfare.

3

u/ScooterNinja 22h ago

Slap me with the handle.. so that it leaves imprints of a sick tattoo !!

308

u/Mad_Dabore 23h ago

This specific piece is an exceptionally rare Royal Dagger carved with Hindu figures dating back to circa 1600–1645 from the Nayak period in Madurai, India. It was commissioned as a ceremonial offering to a Hindu temple for the ruler Thirumalai Nayak.

26

u/chai_chellam 22h ago

thank you, was wondering! also, source? and ceremonial offering means it was probably made just to be decoration and not functional enough to actually stab people in battle, right?

25

u/Aathishs04 22h ago

I mean I'm sure it could do some damage but if it's true the dagger was commissioned as a gift to a temple it's unlikely to see any actual battles.

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592

u/ALazyScribbler 23h ago

This dagger is likely to be one of the diplomatic gifts one king used to send to another for showing friendship/relationship/solidarity.

Certainly not a deadly weapon but more powerful in many ways.

265

u/OmegaKitty1 23h ago

Certainly is a deadly weapon

48

u/HereIGoAgain_1x10 22h ago

Exactly, I've heard tales of a man that killed 3 men in a bar with a pencil

14

u/LossAltruistic3710 22h ago

Do you call that man "Baba Yaga"

2

u/Better-Culture-7770 15h ago

I wouldn't call that guy at all he sounds volatile.

12

u/Aristarchus1981 23h ago

Until it breaks

19

u/Witty-Ad5743 23h ago

Yeah, but then you have dozens of metal shards cutting you up from the inside.

6

u/FVLCON_0_0 23h ago

one-time-use dagger?

6

u/Witty-Ad5743 23h ago

Unless you can convince whoever you're stabbing to hold still, probably.

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2

u/gigglefarting 21h ago

Most things lose their functionality after breaking

1

u/Aristarchus1981 20h ago

I function better after taking a break🤷🏻

2

u/gigglefarting 20h ago

But what about after you’re broken?

1

u/Aristarchus1981 20h ago

I go back to work. Broke my pinky toe once, and still had to work in a big boot.

3

u/Working-Ad694 21h ago

durability for 1 stab only, but can still be deadly for 1

8

u/Glass_Buffalo1 22h ago

This is a true work of art.

7

u/samanay_vyakti 22h ago

You are absolutely right, it can be used as weapon but it is for ceremonial purpose, also to show what a great level craftsmanship.

1

u/AbbreviationsOnly711 19h ago

I'm sure you could kill someone with it, if needed, but imagine cleaning it after

166

u/DharmicCosmosO 23h ago

Gorgeous

279

u/FormalTotal9684 23h ago

There is some crazy amazing artwork and architecture in India

I visited Mysore Palace

More impressive than Vatican

92

u/WizardPrince_ 22h ago

go to hampi and halebedu the details are amazing

17

u/Rich_Future5816 20h ago

"Come" to Hampi, that's more inviting.

9

u/BhaiJustShutUp 8h ago

“Come to Hampi” only makes sense if the person saying it is actually from Hampi 😭 Otherwise “go to Hampi” makes perfect sense lmao

22

u/JustGulabjamun 21h ago

Visit Kailasa Temple next. They carved it top to bottom.

1

u/psi-cotico 9h ago

Visit Dilwara temples - Mount Aburaj, Rajasthan, India.

Meanwhile just google and imagine the amount of work went into it. Simply breathtaking. You have to see to believe it.

It is not possible to make one in today's time, because people do not have such skills today.

-6

u/WriterV 18h ago

More impressive than Vatican

Look, as an Indian, I'd ask that you don't do these comparisons. It's not helpful to anyone, and only invites the worst kinds of people who get mad about these sorts of things. And while they're not worthy of anyone's attention, it's just not worth the trouble.

Better or worse, they're both worthy of admiring. Each for their own reasons, and history. There's no need to put one down to praise the other.

21

u/FormalTotal9684 18h ago

Why are you not proud of the amazing buildings and architecture there?

If people who have never visited both want to complain for any number of reasons, who cares?

I’m Catholic and IMHO I was more impressed with Mysore and its palace and surrounding buildings

3

u/stash0606 10h ago

i think he's saying we can admire and appreciate both, without undermining the other.

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46

u/Night-Fury-2025 23h ago

Not for war but for love

12

u/SQD2_Insquidious 23h ago

This is my lovin' knife

3

u/TylerBurden_ 20h ago

Should've used this one in Se7en

38

u/YouShalllNotPass 21h ago

Indian handicrafts are unmatched tbh.

27

u/NW7l2335 23h ago

Ancient drip

5

u/Justa_CuriousBoi 16h ago

Actually this was made in medieval times but yeah, I do get it

3

u/FinancialShock7225 11h ago

1600s is early modern my g,

1

u/Justa_CuriousBoi 6h ago

Yeaaa that's tru

4

u/tamed__impala 16h ago

1600s is pretty modern

17

u/SenseiTano 23h ago

If I get stabbed by this I can’t even be mad

6

u/Minimum-Ad3126 22h ago

Going out like an Aristocrat. 👌

12

u/SuryaOP 23h ago

Hot damn

30

u/RagingCalmness 23h ago

What animal is in the center of the blade? Looks like a dragon which is not really common in Indian mythology?

64

u/Vetriven 23h ago

It's likely a Yaali: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yali_(mythology)

2

u/stash0606 10h ago

thank you for this, i never knew a term for these things existed.

2

u/Deepfriedomelette 19h ago

If you mean the one on the blade, and not the handle, I think it’s a Makara.

16

u/androshanki 22h ago

Where is the dagger now. Let me guess, in British museum

6

u/krizzdev 23h ago

Tour de force

6

u/CharAznableLoNZ 20h ago

Makes you wonder what india would be like if britain didn't break their spirit.

23

u/Chance-Fun-3169 23h ago

The things we could do if we all had nothing but time, no phones, just practicing amazing feats and skills

23

u/TheHolyWaffleGod 23h ago

I mean people definitely can and do make stuff like this in the modern age. Lots of people have time to do this and phones aren’t much of a detriment.

1

u/Chance-Fun-3169 23h ago

Probably with a 3D computer though right?

10

u/TheHolyWaffleGod 23h ago

A computer and specialised machinery would definitely be one way of going about it. But sculptors and the like who carve in the traditional way could do it too, it would just be really expensive.

3

u/OwnBuy9232 23h ago

What do you mean by 'we'?

4

u/Muerteds 22h ago

That's a knife- daggers have two cutting edges coming to a point. Dirks have the pointed shape of a dagger, but only one sharp cutting edge. An assymetrical single-edge blade is a knife.

Enjoy.

4

u/Ok_Objective1724 14h ago

This is a Royal Dagger with an Openwork Blade and Carved Ivory Hilt, a 17th-century masterpiece from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India (Nayaka Period, c. 1600–1645). Commissioned during the reign of King Thirumalai Nayak (r. 1623–1659) as a ceremonial offering to a Hindu temple, it is housed in the collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Key Features & Craftsmanship

  • Carved Ivory Hilt:
    • Yali Pommel: The loop handle terminates in a pommel carved as a Yali (or Yazhi), a mythical South Indian guardian beast possessing features of a lion, elephant, and horse.
    • Intricate Relief: The openwork grip is carved with floral scrollwork, bead moldings, and miniature elephant figures.
  • Pierced Steel Blade:
    • Base Iconography: At the forte (base of the blade), a relief of Lord Shiva brandishes a trident (trishula) while trampling Apasmara (the dwarf demon symbolizing ignorance).
    • Openwork Tracery: The double-edged blade features chiseled steel openwork filled with scroll patterns and mythical birds (hamsa).
  • Purpose & Significance:
    • Votive Offering: Designed as a symbol of royal power, divine patronage, and protection rather than a battlefield weapon.
    • South Indian Metallurgy: Represents the peak of 17th-century Nayaka-era steel chiseling and ivory carving traditions in the Cauvery-Vaigai region.

3

u/NannerManCometh 22h ago

Or the fact that I keeps and open wounds channel while still inside you

3

u/White_foxes 16h ago

I. Want. It. Now.

3

u/Rusiano 8h ago

If there’s ever an Assassins Creed set in India I want that

16

u/Code-201 22h ago

Specifically, this is a Tamil ceremonial dagger. Got to love seeing your own heritage out there.

9

u/furimmerkaiser 22h ago

Madurai mentioned

5

u/your_savageness 22h ago

தம்பி மதுரையா?

1

u/furimmerkaiser 6h ago

illa bro, Villupuram. Aana ellaame Tamil Nadu thaane

1

u/your_savageness 5h ago

Eallame tamil tha bro. Nan ilangai

2

u/furimmerkaiser 5h ago

Cool. Aama, ellaame Tamil thaan

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u/stash0606 10h ago

i think this is a good thread to remind people that Damascus steel, which inspired Valyrian steel in Game of Thrones I believe, is actually Indian steel.

5

u/AccomplishedMethod11 23h ago

Holy shit..thats art

2

u/Primary-Reality7865 21h ago

Yeah kill me with that

2

u/lalith_4321 20h ago

Why'd ya shank me ya wanker... Nice blade though, innit?

2

u/Sennius 18h ago

If I got stabbed by this beauty... I don't think I'd be mad about it.

2

u/jojimmyjojo-yo 18h ago

Looks like Seven Deadly Sins anime weapon

2

u/GandalfVirus 9h ago

Looks hard to clean but maybe thats the message

3

u/Fiend--66 23h ago

So without modern technology, do you think artists today could replicate such detail?

8

u/OldWar1111 19h ago

Yes. We are almost the same people as we were back then.

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u/Dangerous-Page9692 22h ago

Is that murgan Swami or kartikey god of war does it belong to south india.

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u/Media_Browser 23h ago

Getting all the blood and gore out must have been a chore .

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u/Exact_Conclusion_276 22h ago

That's a beautiful dagger.

1

u/YourFaajhaa 22h ago

Remarkable.

1

u/AC13verName 22h ago

I cannot even imagine how you would do this without an engraving tool. It's truly incredible

1

u/r4d1ant 22h ago

Are there any higher res images of this so we can zoom in and actually see the artwork

1

u/Aqui10 21h ago

Definitely read that as Rs. 1600 for a minute

1

u/s_ox 21h ago

Where is it now?

1

u/Hot-Wolverine2458 21h ago

Exquisite craftsmanship

1

u/DrMantisToboggan45 21h ago

Super cool looking, but wouldn’t that blade crumple fairly easily?

1

u/BusCurrent9640 21h ago

God it looks like that would hurt to be stabbed with

1

u/zumbaking05 21h ago

Clean this would be a mess..

1

u/bodmaashbauni 21h ago

The kind of wedding gift I would want for my enemies-to-lovers trope 😭🤙

1

u/aerdvarkk 21h ago

Yeah, but can you cut a cinder block with it and have it still peel a tomato?

1

u/NaiveSuit3068 21h ago

What a beautiful craftsmanship! Lovely.

1

u/jabs09 21h ago

Right so where can I see this now

1

u/Aposine 21h ago

Dwarf Fortress artifact

1

u/3767_doomscroller 21h ago

Good luck trying to remove any DNA from that.

1

u/Ecstatic_Dig5480 21h ago

Getting sta**ed from this would be an honour innit🤓

Jokes apart, it's utterly beautiful! Wanna bow to the artist! India's architecture is sure a breathtaking marvel

1

u/Inquisitive_Cyborg_3 20h ago

 It's beautiful and what skill. Forged in Fire please replicate this knife! What a show that would be.b

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u/nightfly1000000 20h ago

Well if you're gonna get stabbed, might as well go out in style.

1

u/-watchman- 20h ago

Looks like the one used on the Night King

1

u/Far_Mathematician924 20h ago

ancient mall ninja drip 

1

u/ohokthankstho 20h ago

I want this 🤩

1

u/gepi_antiques 20h ago

A similar dagger in the MET. Not quite as spectacular, but still pretty fabulous.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/872977

1

u/AbandonedAnger 20h ago

wish someone re-creates the stl aka ready to print 3d file

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Weird66 19h ago

gotta plunge that bad boy in an ultrasonic cleaner

1

u/Key_Complaint2772 19h ago

looks really really cool but does it ever used for its purpose?

1

u/IAmBeingTargeted33 18h ago

How many people has it killed?

1

u/SigFloyd 18h ago

What are the stats

1

u/ASomthnSomthn 17h ago

Incredibly beautiful but also incredibly impractical.

1

u/Drag0nburn 16h ago

Prince of Persia vibes with this one.

1

u/kubamh 16h ago

That might be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen

1

u/Truly_Meaningless 15h ago

100% decorative

1

u/prismo509 15h ago

I love seeing things like this to truly remind myself that I am not talented. 😌

1

u/Roachie-poo 14h ago

That’s beautiful

1

u/Eox_of_Fret 14h ago

This reminds me of the dagger in the jungle book.

1

u/boltactionmike 14h ago

Is it casted that way?

1

u/proAmaan 11h ago

this thing looks straight out of prince of Persia dammm. looks good.

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u/Rational_bakchod 11h ago

Didn't know my ancestors had this drip

1

u/ramksr 11h ago

Wow, I am from the State where Madurai is and I don't even know we made this kind of breathtaking detail artistic work. I always thought India as temple art or inventors of zero or scriptures.

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u/pageme3585 10h ago

Damn, hats off to the bladesmith that made this🫡

1

u/CodeNeko23 10h ago

Chances are this was forever meant to be a temple property dedicated to Lord Shiva. There's a saying which means to never lay a hand on Shiva's property things which are offered to Shiva by devotees as he himself do not have desire for material things.

This dagger must have been offered to merchants or other country envoys as a symbol of strong friendship. This shows how there was a prosperous kingdom in Southern India who had strong ties and trades around the world.

1

u/gundusp 10h ago

The picture should be upside down - it would be much easier to see the intricate carvings and designs

1

u/broke_guy_speaks 7h ago

It will kill

1

u/Ok_Visual4618 6h ago

Really really detailed carvings

1

u/A_Tempest7_7 6h ago

Intricate.

1

u/a212j 4h ago

That is dope! In which museum is it now ?

1

u/Ratephant 3h ago

r/horribletoclean entered the chat

1

u/gkrish07 1h ago

I am from Madurai and I didn’t know about this before! Thanks 🇬🇧! Anyways proud.

P.S Madurai is one of the oldest cities in the world dating back to 6 BCE. It served as a hub for trading and recently Roman and Arab coins were excavated in a site near Madurai. Also Madurai’s jasmine is GI-tagged and used by perfume makers such as Dior, Tom Ford and others.

1

u/RedComesInManyShades 44m ago

India needs to do a better job in repatriating these gems back where they belong

But that's a stunning piece nonetheless

1

u/Harry_Iconic_Jr 23h ago

If you stab someone with that, it's gonna be a bitch to get all the blood and tissue out of all the little nooks and crannys... and you're not going to want to stick it in your mum's dishwasher because the heat will loosen the handle from the expansion. You'd be better off to find a man with a pig farm.

1

u/bernpfenn 22h ago

one must feel honored by getting killed with this knife