A gold encrusted dagger that was once owned by Shah Jahan (1628-1658), the builder of the Taj Mahal and an aesthete whose love for beauty is well known, goes under the hammer on April 10. Inscriptions on the back of the blade include the Mughal emperor’s official titles, date and place of birth, and an “honorific parasol” — an ancient pan-Asian symbol of divinity of royalty, according to Bonhams auction house.
[Pic: Reuters]
