Jade in the Royal Collection
Vibrant jades collected from around the world
Dagger and scabbard
early eighteenth centuryRCIN 11450
This dagger was a gift to the Prince of Wales from Mahbub Ali Khan (1866–1911), Nizam of Hyderabad. The dagger hilt is carved out of jade in the form of a horse's head inlaid with diamonds and rubies. Dagger hilts carved to resemble Arabian horses were popular in the Mughal court from the mid-seventeenth century and were presented and exchanged as gifts or tokens of favour.