Pata (Dandpata)
Pata (Dandpata)
Maratha
Marathon Empire (India)
Blade: 17th century (Northern Italian)
Hilt: 18th century - Early 19th century (ca. 1700 - 1818)
Steel
Blade: 90,5cm
Hilt & Blade: 113,3cm
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: -cm
Collection Date: 2025
Collection Number: 480
Ex. American Art Market (2025)
The pata sword or dandpata in Marathi is a gauntlet sword with an integrated handguard attached to European long blades used by the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent during the 17th and 18th centuries. The sword’s length made it highly effective for infantrymen against heavily armored cavalry with accounts of duel wielding using a spinning technique "much like a windmill" to cut down their opponents from horseback and finish off the wounded from the ground.
The steel backsword type blade is double- edged, long, slim, and flexible. The back side having a thick spine for the first 1/4 length at its base. A top fuller spans along the spine section while a fuller below spans about half length of the blade. There are four stamps on the blade to the bottom side. The stamps are associated with the Venice Region of Italy, particularly the "mill-rind" markings of Belluno, Veneto, and Feltre.
The steel hood guard, to protect the hand, decorated in faint linear incisions. Steel langlet in the shape of a lotus that pins to the blade. A previous collection sticker "60" is present on the bottom side of the langlet. Inside, an iron grip bar is riveted to the sides of the hood and having a steel forearm support. There are remnants of brass within the hood.
A very good pata sword having an older Italian stamped flexible blade. A somewhat uncommon sword in good condition for its age.
[1] https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-15434
[2] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=4153
[3] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=1201
[4] http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=3739
[7} http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25287&highlight=mark+italian+sword (Stamp)