Sword (Kilij) with Scabbard
Unknown Artist
The inscriptions on the sword invoke Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, and ‘Ali. The stones adorning the hilt and scabbard of the sword have talismanic significance. According to scholar Al-Biruni’s eleventh-century manuscript Kitab al- Jamahir (Book of Precious Stones), coral was believed to prevent misfortune and turquoise to avert the evil eye.
Credit: The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini, presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932
19th century
Steel, wood, turquoise, coral, emerald, gold
90.2 cm
32.75.300a, b
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Where you'll find this
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection
