An Early Gurz (Gurj) Flanged Mace
An Early Gurz (Gurj) Flanged Mace
Mughal Empire - Maratha Empire (India)
Late 17th - Early 18th century
Iron
Haft & Mace: 53,3cm
Hilt, Haft, & Mace: 72,4cm
Collection Date: 2021
Collection Number: 177
An early Deccan Indian iron gurz mace. The head is eight bladed, fret decorated, and flanged. At the top is an iron spike. Attached to the hilt is an unusual and beautifully spiraled cylindrical shaft, forged with a wire basket at its base. The basket hilt with a slender grip and long pommel spike with bulbed finial.
This gurz is an earlier example with great workmanship quality in the forged details to the shaft and an intricately styled fretted mace head. Now heavily oxidized, it was likely housed in an Indian armory for some time, where environmental conditions were unfavorable before being dispersed into the private market. This piece is smaller in proportions to the later larger versions. A real fighting mace with great age.
Pinchot, Oliver S. 2014. “Arms of the Paladins”. Page 21. Cat. 3-22
W. O. Oldman. “Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnographic Specimens”. January 1905: List No. 22; Item #8 (6160)