The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Arms and Armour from Asia, Africa and the Ottoman Empire

The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Arms and Armour from Asia, Africa and the Ottoman Empire cover

The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Arms and Armour from Asia, Africa and the Ottoman Empire

Description

A beautifully illustrated catalogue of a world-class collection of arms and armour from India and the Middle East.

The Wallace Collection is home to one of the finest collections of non-European arms and armour in the world, teeming with bejewelled and enamelled dagger hilts, swords and scabbards, and with delicately gilded spears, helmets, shields and breastplates.

The pieces within the collection provide an unusually comprehensive view of three key areas – India, Iran and the Ottoman Empire – and span the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with star objects dating from as early as the fifteenth century. At once functional weapons and prestigious luxury objects, items in this area of the collection are fascinating and awe-inspiring both for their technical achievements and artistic virtuosity.

This lavishly illustrated catalogue is a landmark contribution to the field of Islamic art, shining a light on the previously overlooked and hidden gems of the Wallace Collection and providing detailed photographs of almost every object, accompanied by descriptions of its provenance, the materials of its construction and how it was made.

Table of Contents

Foreword (Xavier Bray)
Preface (Thom Richardson)
Introduction (Thom Richardson and Paula Turner)
The provenance of the 'Oriental' collection (Suzanne Higgott)
List of sales (Suzanne Higgott)
Steel (Alan Williams and David Edge)
Acknowledgements
CATALOGUE
SOUTH ASIA: The Mughal heritage · The Deccan · The katar · Mysore · South India · Sri Lanka · Sind · Gujarat · Awadh and Lucknow · Rajasthan · Punjab and the Sikhs · Presentation sabres from Lahore
IRAN: The shamshir · Armour
THE CAUCASUS: The kindjal · Circassian firearms
THE OTTOMAN WORLD: Turkey · The kili · Balkans · The yataghan · Balkan flintlock holster pistols (kubur) · Montenegrin and Albanian ledenica or celina pistols · Greece and Crete · Algiers · Algerian yataghans
CENTRAL AND EAST ASIA: Afghanistan and Central Asia · Southeast Asia · China · Japan
DECORATIVE ARTS FROM BEYOND WESTERN EUROPE
APPENDICES
Glossary of Arms and Armour Terms
Inscriptions
Makers
Qur'anic verses
Other inscriptions
References
Index of Objects by OA Number

Product details

Published 26 Feb 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 560
ISBN 9781781301203
Imprint Philip Wilson Publishers
Illustrations Illustrated throughout with beautiful colour images
Dimensions 300 x 240 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Volume Editor

Thom Richardson

Volume Editor

Paula Turner

Photographer

Cassandra Parsons

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