Shah Jahan’s dagger

London, April 10: An “elegant and understated personal dagger” carried by Shah Jahan (1592-1666) fetched £1.7 million (Rs 13.4 crore) at auction at Bonhams in London today, greatly exceeding the expected bids of £300,000-500,000.

There were a number of Indian bidders, Bonhams spokesman Julian Roup disclosed to The Telegraph “but sadly the buyer has given strict instructions about remaining anonymous”.

The dagger, with “fine gold inscriptions and decoration” and dated 1629-30, was the star item in today’s Indian and Islamic sale which raised a total of £3million (Rs 23.6 crore).

“Thank God that at a time of economic gloom we are in a global village and Indian, Russian and Chinese buyers are helping to keep alive the Islamic art market,” enthused Roup.

He added: “What an amazing week it has been for the Islamic art market in London.”

He was referring to a 12th century key to the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, which yesterday sold for £9.2 million (Rs 72.4 crore) – 18 times its pre-sale estimate – at Sotheby’s, setting a new record for an Islamic work of art at auction.

Roup also pointed that at Christie’s earlier in the week, an anonymous investor paid a record £2.5 million (Rs 19.7 crore) – 20 times the pre-sale estimate – for a 7th-century leaf from a Koran.

What is curious is that Islamic religious items are being auctioned without fuss, while Mahatma Gandhi’s supporters succeeded in stopping the sale of his papers and Sikhs prevented bidding for an armour which they believe might have belonged to Guru Gobind Singh.

What is clear is the existence of numerous Indian treasure troves, often hidden away in collections throughout Europe.

The inscriptions in nasta’liq script on the blade of Shah Jahan’s dagger include the Moghul emperor’s official titles, date and place of birth, and the honorific parasol (an ancient pan-Asian symbol of divinity of royalty); all state that it was the personal dagger of Shah Jahan.

Based on the dates given and the fact that the blade was made in Akbarabad, it is possible to suggest the occasion for which it was made, namely of Shah Jahan’s 39th birthday.

Bonhams said that the dagger was the most important item in a “fantastic” collection built by the late Jacques Desenfans, a Belgian driven by his passion for Islamic, Indian and South East Asian history and culture. He spent over 50 years amassing this hugely important collection, which included arms and armour, early pottery and works of art. His collection was brought to public attention when the last Shah of Iran visited him personally at his home in 1969.

Claire Penhallurick, head of Indian and Islamic Department at Bonhams, commented: “It was a great privilege to sell such an extraordinary Indian artefact which took pride of place in the breathtaking Jacques Desenfans Collection. Objects of this quality and importance come to the market very, very rarely.”