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This long curved sword and scabbard are of the kind used and worn by Mughal nobility, as seen often in paintings. The openwork hilt is a characteristic of swords from the southern Indian region known as the Deccan. By the end of the 1500s, the Mughals began making regular incursions into the Deccan as they attempted to expand their empire, increasing the exchange of art forms. <br><br>Repeated four times, twice on one side of the blade and twice on the other in gold inlay, is the same line from the Qur'an 61:13: “Help [comes] from God, and Victory is imminent.” This is a popular inscription on daggers, banners, and other instruments of war, as it reassures the combatants that God is on their side, and therefore they can in good faith expect a speedy victory if they fight valiantly.
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- 1
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 4c76ba5c6819c825
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 112281
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "112281",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Tulwar Sword",
"description": "This long curved sword and scabbard are of the kind used and worn by Mughal nobility, as seen often in paintings. The openwork hilt is a characteristic of swords from the southern Indian region known as the Deccan. By the end of the 1500s, the Mughals began making regular incursions into the Deccan as they attempted to expand their empire, increasing the exchange of art forms. <br><br>Repeated four times, twice on one side of the blade and twice on the other in gold inlay, is the same line from the Qur'an 61:13: “Help [comes] from God, and Victory is imminent.” This is a popular inscription on daggers, banners, and other instruments of war, as it reassures the combatants that God is on their side, and therefore they can in good faith expect a speedy victory if they fight valiantly.",
"date": "1700s",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1930.704.a",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q80004883"
],
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"Arms and Armor"
],
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"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1930.704.a/1930.704.a_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 96.6 cm (38 1/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"India, probably Deccan"
],
"accession": "1930.704.a"
}
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Document identity
{
"localId": "112281",
"label": "Tulwar Sword",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "112281",
"contentType": "object",
"title": "Tulwar Sword",
"description": "This long curved sword and scabbard are of the kind used and worn by Mughal nobility, as seen often in paintings. The openwork hilt is a characteristic of swords from the southern Indian region known as the Deccan. By the end of the 1500s, the Mughals began making regular incursions into the Deccan as they attempted to expand their empire, increasing the exchange of art forms. <br><br>Repeated four times, twice on one side of the blade and twice on the other in gold inlay, is the same line from the Qur'an 61:13: “Help [comes] from God, and Victory is imminent.” This is a popular inscription on daggers, banners, and other instruments of war, as it reassures the combatants that God is on their side, and therefore they can in good faith expect a speedy victory if they fight valiantly.",
"date": "1700s",
"citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1930.704.a",
"rights": "CC0",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"wikidata": [
"Q80004883"
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],
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"thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1930.704.a/1930.704.a_web.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1930.704.a/1930.704.a_web.jpg",
"imageCount": 1,
"source": "import",
"dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 96.6 cm (38 1/16 in.)",
"cul": [
"India, probably Deccan"
],
"accession": "1930.704.a"
}
Document source extras
{
"tec": "Iron hilt with gold; steel blade with gold",
"tombstone": "Tulwar Sword, 1700s. India, probably Deccan. Iron hilt with gold; steel blade with gold; overall: 96.6 cm (38 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of S. D. Wright, 1930.704.a",
"collection": "Indian Art",
"inscriptions": [
{
"inscription": "Help [comes] from God, and Victory is imminent.",
"inscription_remark": "The same line from the Qur'an 61:13 is repeated four times, twice on one side of the blade and twice on the other in gold inlay."
}
],
"citations": [
{
"citation": "“Part II. Fifteenth Annual Report of the Cleveland Museum of Art 1930.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em>, vol. 18, no. 2, 1931, pp. 1–128.",
"page_number": "Mentioned: p. 33",
"url": "www.jstor.org/stable/25137366"
}
],
"url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1930.704.a",
"creditline": "Gift of S. D. Wright",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-29 05:56:01.705000",
"imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1930.704.a/1930.704.a_print.jpg",
"sourceId": 112281,
"dept": "Indian and Southeast Asian Art",
"coll": "Indian Art",
"med": "Iron hilt with gold; steel blade with gold",
"thumbnail_url": null,
"image_url": null
}
Page context
{
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"type": "photo",
"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1930.704.a/1930.704.a_web.jpg",
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}