Art News

Dagger owned by Ottoman Princess and poet married to Grand Vizier for sale at Bonhams

LONDON.- A miniature dagger set with gems and carrying the Imperial monogram of HIH Princess Adile Sultana (1825-1898) will be sold at the next Bonhams Indian and Islamic sale on October 4th in London. The dagger is estimated to sell for £3,000-4,000 at Bonhams in New Bond Street. This is one of the more affordable items in the sale which also features a selection of Mughal jewelled pendants at £30,000 to £100,000, a 16th Century Iznik flask at £60,000 to £80,000 and a Zand celestial globe (star map) at £40,000 to £60,000. Princess Adile Sultana is best known for her poetry, philanthropy and her tragic life. Her poems are important as they shed light on palace life and the administration of the Ottoman Empire. Her little dagger, most probably used as a letter-opener, has a green glass hilt set with rubies and emeralds and a gold damascened blade. The gilt scabbard is set with further rubies and emeralds and chased to depict a tra