9th Sep, 2026 11:00
Fine Antique Arms and Armour from the Philippe Missillier Collection
39
AN INDIAN SILVERED AND GILT DASTANA, PERHAPS RAJASTHAN, LATE 18TH/ EARLY 19TH CENTURY
of silvered steel, comprising main plate shaped to the fore-arm and with an embossed gilt oval at the wrist, a gilt cartouche above lightly engraved with flowering foliage against a finely pricked ground and linked by a slender line to a further cartouche decorated en suite at the elbow, hinged wrist-guard secured by a staple and decorated with two linked cartouches en suite, the lower one inhabited by a pair of birds, the main edges reinforced by gilt crenelated borders, and with applied gilt ridges at the wrist (interior with some old surface rust, mitten missing), 32.5 cm long
Provenance
Philippe Missillier Collection, no. 69C
Dastana (arm defences) are known with variations in form and decoration which have not been securely classified into discrete groups. On this example, the raised rib and the flange around the wrist are distinctive. A related pair with these characteristics is in the Wallace Collection, dated to the early 19th century from Rajasthan or Lahore (inv. no. OA 1841/OA 1842; Richardson and Turner 2026, p. 155). The decoration on this example however points suggests Rajasthan as its place of manufacture.
of silvered steel, comprising main plate shaped to the fore-arm and with an embossed gilt oval at the wrist, a gilt cartouche above lightly engraved with flowering foliage against a finely pricked ground and linked by a slender line to a further cartouche decorated en suite at the elbow, hinged wrist-guard secured by a staple and decorated with two linked cartouches en suite, the lower one inhabited by a pair of birds, the main edges reinforced by gilt crenelated borders, and with applied gilt ridges at the wrist (interior with some old surface rust, mitten missing), 32.5 cm long
Provenance
Philippe Missillier Collection, no. 69C
Dastana (arm defences) are known with variations in form and decoration which have not been securely classified into discrete groups. On this example, the raised rib and the flange around the wrist are distinctive. A related pair with these characteristics is in the Wallace Collection, dated to the early 19th century from Rajasthan or Lahore (inv. no. OA 1841/OA 1842; Richardson and Turner 2026, p. 155). The decoration on this example however points suggests Rajasthan as its place of manufacture.
Auction: Fine Antique Arms and Armour from the Philippe Missillier Collection, 9th Sep, 2026
Over a period of half a century, Philippe became one of the leading connoisseurs and independent scholars in the field of antique arms and armour from Europe, India and the Islamic world. Consulted by the world’s leading museums and collectors, Philippe possessed a remarkable eye for quality and rarity which is reflected in the objects offered in this sale.
His company was enjoyed at countless exhibitions and sales around the world, where he would greet colleagues with a hummed fanfare, invariably followed by a profound observation imbued with wit and scholarship in equal measure. Philippe belonged to a generation that truly mastered its subject, visiting every museum and attending as many auctions as he could while simultaneously assembling an important library.
A number of the pieces offered here were published in ‘Splendeur des Armes Orientales’, a landmark exhibition catalogue co-authored in collaboration with Howard Ricketts in 1988, and remains a standard reference today. Philippe wore his immense knowledge lightly, balancing academic rigour with good humour, listening generously to the opinions of colleagues, and invariably raising a smile.
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 6th September June: 12pm - 4pm
Monday 7th September: 10am - 7pm (Drinks 6-7pm)
Tuesday 8th September: 10am - 5pm
CONTACT:
For further information please contact us | armsandarmour@olympiaauctions.com | + 44 (0) 20 7806 5541
