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Spearhead: O.47-1879

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Large straight steel double edged leaf shaped blade with a low medial rib on the lower half, changing to a medial ridge in a point of diamond section on the upper half. At the base of the blade are two pronounced wings. The blade is attached through a complex of mouldings to a plain socket with a long wavy weld running down most of its length, and a cog-like ring at the base helps secure the socket to the wooden haft, a small fragment of which protrudes from the socket

Notes

History note: Probably from the Tanjore armoury, broken up in 1860 (see documentation Elgood 2004)

Legal notes

Given by Robert Taylor, MA

Measurements and weight

Blade Length: 30.9 cm
Blade Width Max: 4.8 cm
Overall Length: 55.6 cm
Weight: 605 g

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by Taylor, Robert, MA

Dating

17th Century#
Circa 1600 CE - 1700 CE

Note

The reinforced zirah bhonk point suggests the early date. Compare O.45-1879 and O.49-1879, also with similar cog-like reinforces. Also Metropolitan Museum of Art no. 36.25.1931 from the Walhouse, Oldman and Stone collections (see documentation Elgood 2004) which has the same type of reinforce, and which Elgood dates to the early 17th century.

Components of the work

Blade composed of steel

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 47
  • Method of creation: Inscribed
  • Type: Tag

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: O.47-1879
Primary reference Number: 158355
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 25 February 2020 Last processed: Thursday 7 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

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/158355 Accessed: 2024-11-25 08:52:38

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/158355 |title=Spearhead |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-25 08:52:38|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-158355

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