This free, bijou exhibition of five richly decorated swords from 18th-19th century Lucknow has been mounted in the ‘Housekeeper’s Room’ at the Wallace Collection, London, while the world-famous collection of Arms and Armour is being reinterpreted.
These exquisitely worked swords were acquired at auction and from private dealers in London and Paris, during the latter half of the 19th century, by Sir Richard Wallace and the 4th Marquess of Hertford.
Struck into coins and depicted on the city’s archways, ‘Fish of Dignity’ (Mahi maritib) became the prime emblem of the court of Lucknow during the reign of Sa’adat Khan, the first Nawab of Awadh (r. 1722-39).
Lucknow ‘Fish’ symbols feature heavily on both these sword hilts. The golden tiger heads ‘commanding symbols of wealth and strength’ in the sword on the left were incorporated into the proposed new coat of arms drafted for the coronation of Ghazi-al- Din-Haidar, the seventh Nawab of Awadh (r.1814-27).
Shuja al-Daula, Nawab of Awadh (r.1754-1775), whose name is engraved on the blade of this sword.
The camel’s red ‘dulla’ (an internal organ exposed by male camels to ‘show dominance or attract a mate’) on the late 18th / early 19th century whalebone sword hilt on the left suggests ‘bravery, virility and readiness to fight’.
Elements of the East India Company’s crest (a lion holding a crown, standing above a shield) suggest that the sword on the right may have been intended for a British EIC representative.
The Craftsmen
The unnamed artisans who made these swords, and their scabbards, had large workshops attached to the court at Lucknow.
Each sword produced was the result of a collaborative effort by several specialists:
•Blacksmiths forged steel into blades, then gently polished them with a weak acid to reveal an intricate rippled pattern in the metal.
•Enamelwork was applied to the hilts by placing different colours of powdered glass into recesses made on a metal background. Once fired, the glass melted into the grooves, producing a shiny finish.
•Embroidery or leatherwork was then used for the scabbards.
A 2-day conference on ‘Arms and Armour from Asia, Africa, and the Ottoman World’, is being held in the Lower Ground Floor Theatre at the Wallace Collection (Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN), the home of ‘one of the finest assemblages of arms and armour in a public collection’, from Friday 13 – Saturday 14 March 2026. It will also be broadcast live on zoom.
Meanwhile the ‘Lucknow Swords’ exhibition continues in the Housekeepers Room until 22nd March 2026.
Rachel Magowan
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