Author Description

The arms and armour in the Khalili Collection range in date from the 7th to the 19th centuries. Particularly important, however, are a group of belt fittings from the medieval period which convey the role of ceremony among the military classes of the Islamic world. Display was also a major factor behind the creation of the two sets of elaborate horse trappings from the 13th and 14th centuries, one of which includes a complete gold saddle. Among the most dramatic items is a 15th-century steel war mask which still inspires a sense of awe, and the impressive array of horse chamfrons includes the only known example from Sultanate India. The descriptions are supplemented by a section on the inscriptions and drawings of details and arsenal marks. The presentation avoids the strictly typological classification of most previous works on the subject, and aims to give a full sense of the panoply of warfare: the stirrup, the drum, the talismanic shirt and the banner were as important to the Muslim warrior as the sword and the mail shirt.