Item ref: 1799
Private collection, Great Britain
A katar is a type of Indian push dagger, characterised by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which sits the blade above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, ceremonial katars were also used in worship.
Upper-class Rajputs and Mughals would even hunt tiger with a pair of katar. For a hunter to kill a tiger with such a short-range weapon was considered the surest sign of bravery and martial skill.