Maker: Unknown
Straight steel double edged leaf shaped blade, of decorative form with a medial ridge bordered with recessed grounds with two raised ribs and a lotus bud at the centre by the forte, slight wings at the base of the blade. The point is quite heavily reinforced. There is a long section of the original bamboo haft covered with a long steel ferrule, dagged at the bottom and braised up one side, and secured with three moulded rings, decorated at either side with triple incised lines
History note: From Ganjam. Probably from the Tanjore armoury, broken up in 1860 (see documentation: Elgood 2004)
Given by Robert Taylor, MA
Blade Length: 28.2 cm
Blade Width Max: 6.7 cm
Overall Length: 61.5 cm
Weight: 955 g
Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by Taylor, Robert, MA
16th Century, Late
Circa
1560
CE
-
1600
CE
From Tanjore (Thanjavur), in southern India, this spear head originally had a bamboo shaft, traces of which can still be seen. The ridge down the centre of the blade makes it very strong making it a formidable weapon.
The reinforced zirah bhonk point suggests an early date. The decorative blade is closely comparable to Metropolitan Museum of Art no. 36.25.1932, ex-Walhouse, Oldman and Stone collection, published in Elgood 2004: fig. 19.10. Elgood compares these with other decorative arms from Vijayanagar, and sculptures such as the horse and rider from Ranganatha Temple, Srirangam (fig. 19.12). See documentation
Blade composed of steel
Accession number: O.34-1879
Primary reference Number: 158340
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Spearhead" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/158340 Accessed: 2024-12-23 02:06:51
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/158340
|title=Spearhead
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-23 02:06:51|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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