Sword
Sri Lankan
Category
Arms and armour
Date
1700 - 1800
Materials
Steel, iron, copper, silver and coloured glass
Measurements
750 mm (L)
Place of origin
Sri Lanka
Order this imageCollection
Powis Castle and Garden, Powys
NT 1180614.1
Summary
Sri Lankan 'kastane' sword, the silver hilt cast with some repousse decoration on the grip, chased and tooled; the guard-ends and down-curving quillons terminating in lion-like 'serapendiya', the guard with a human figure growing out of foliage, 'nari-lata-vela'; the pommel in the form of a Sinhalese lion, open-mouthed, its eyes set with red glass (1 eye missing). The European steel blade with reinforcing polate of copper inlaid with silver. Sri Lanka, 18th century.
Provenance
Accepted by HM Treasury on 21st March, 1963 in lieu of tax and conveyed to National Trust ownership on 29th November 1963.
Makers and roles
Sri Lankan , maker