Treasure or paper weight??

[vantique]

:D Hello Guys,

I got this 'dagger' years ago because I loved the look of it.
It's heavy but not sharp. It had a greenish patina which I
cleaned up. Seller told me that it is from Mindanao. As to
its use and authenticity, I'll leave these up to you guys.
Thanks a million :D :D !

vince

[kronckew]

looks like a buddhist 'purba' knife, ritual object.

more info:

Linky (http://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=301)

[mrwizard]

Could also be the head of a sawed off war-hammer. This would explain the hand on the hilt and the slightly inward bent tip... :shrug:

Best regards,
Thilo

[David]

It certainly looks a bit like a phurba in blade form, but it has none of the motifs or symbolism i would expect to see. Certainly not the Vajrakila style of phurba, but even in it's other forms the iconology does not seem right. :shrug:

[David]

It had a greenish patina which I
cleaned up.
So, is this copper then. Looks a bit like bronze in the pics, but copper would turn green.
Iron and wood are the common materials for real phurbas (occasionally gold and silver). Lot's of tourist ones are brass.

[kronckew]

the grasping hand has it's fingers folded in a classic hindu/buddhist mudra (hand gesture) either apana or karana... the three faces normally seen as the pommel seem to be stylized in the corners of the blade ricasso area, the elephant head (ganesh) pommel is definitely unusual.

the ref. i gave above notes a buffalo headed purba as part of a set of 12 each with a diffrent animals head, used in purification rituals.

the apana and karana mudras are associated with casting out demons and sickness.

if not a phurba, it does appear to be a ritual knife of some sort.

would like to see the other side of the blade, below the back of the hand.

[vantique]

:) Lightning-fast replies, people, thanks!!!!

Here are three more pics, views as requested.

I thought it was a turkey?? Aren't those feathers (wings??)
squeezed tight by the imposing hand?

BTW, it's all of 9 inches.

be well, everyone.

vince