Indian ivory hilted Khanjar dagger with wootz steel blade and ‘tears of the wounded’ balls in the hilt

 An interesting Indian Khanjar dagger. The recurved blade of fine wootz or ‘damascus’ steel, with a clear crystalline watered pattern to areas. The hilt of mughal style with a rounded pommel, the grips of elephant ivory, fashioned from old re-used sections.  The grips are decorated with steel rosettes to each side. The steel mounts to the handle features a pierced hollowed out ‘channel section all around the edge of the ivory, within which tiny steel balls are able to move freely. This feature is rarely but occasionally found on islamic and indo persian weaponry and has been termed ‘ the tears of the wounded’ a reference to the sacrifices made during warfare, the finest examples utilised seed pearls or silver balls. 17th/18th century, age patination throughout, some wear and light scattered pitting to areas on the blade. Indo persian jambiya