AN AFGHAN PULWAR SWORD
Afghanistan, 19th century

With a single-edged watered steel blade, enhanced with a brass crescent moon just below the forte, the steel hilt engraved with vertical lines and flowerheads on a ring-punched ground, designed with the typical T-shaped forte with downturned quillions in the shape of stylised dragon heads, with a flattened grip convex to the sides, at the top a decorative disc with bud-like finial engraved with concentric bands of crescent motif creating the illusion of a stylised floral collar, with a black leather scabbard with steel fittings in the middle and to the tip, 103.2cm long including the scabbard.