Bhuj? Age? Origin?
 

Hello dear members,

just have bought this polearm, I think it's a Bhuj from either Sind or Kutch but I am unsure. The examples I found in the net or at other places have had a pole grip from metal. It's 90 cm overall, more I can't say until I have it in my hands. The pictures are from the seller. All informations and comments are very welcome! :)

Hello Detlef,

Now, that's a full tang on steroids! :eek:

The 2 hanger rings seem to be unusual, too.


It does look like a bhuj crafted for real business - it sure has a double-handed infighting feel to it!

Regards,
Kai

Looks great and well made!With the full tang going down the handle it must be a fairly substantial weapon.Are the rings used for lanyards or a sling to wear over the shoulder?It looks like it would be effective for use on horseback.
Well here is another item that I have to add to my bucket list.

Congratulations.
Its quite an interesting Bhuj.
The size itself is quite big. The haft witgh the very long tang is interesting, as are the two rings. The blade form is unusual, althought seen before, with the reinforced tip, which adds weight and strength to the blade, or it would have been too weak for any action.
What I find especially interesting is, the stylized elaphant head (or that is what I see), at the base of the blade and handle. You only see it in profile, where it mostly is shown in detail.
Interesting too is, that there, for obvious reasons, is not hidden knife in the haft.

Thank you all for comment, very appreciated! :) The rings which seems to be for a carrying belt I am as well never have seen before by a bhuj and also not this full tang construction. Soon as I will have it in my hands I will take pictures and will tell you the feel in the hands, I think that it's a substantial weapon and like Kai write worked for real business. If it's used on horseback I can't say, I just don't know enough about this sort of weapon.

Jens, interesting suggestion about the stylized elaphant head! Do you have an idea about the exact origin and an age guess?

Thank you again,
Detlef

Looks like it's going to be a stunner!!! Are you planning to clean it up a bit? The gray color of the blade suggests perhaps wootz!

Detlef, congrats on a lovely and unique find!

Hello Charles,

Considering the full tang construction, I'm more inclined to believe this blade is laminated rather than forged from crucible steel.

Regards,
Kai

Hello Jens,

Thanks for weighting in!


Interesting thought! You mean essentially the bolster area, I guess? That would be very stylized compared to the very figural, typical examples, indeed. No eyes, ears possibly indicated by the tapering bolster, with only a vague trunk extending down vertically...

I'm sure Detlef can provide close-ups soon for us to get a clearer picture!

Regards,
Kai

Thank you Charles! This piece deserves certainly a proper polish and etch and as well a reshape of the tip from the blade, it seems to be compressed. It would be a big extra when the blade is from wootz, we will see!

Regards,
Detlef

Also a big "thank you" from me also!

You can be sure about this! :) ;)

I was thinking along those lines. However, the distance between the rings is only 11-12 inches which would make carrying it across the back not really feasible. And when carrying it over the shoulder, the heavy blade will most likely keep tipping over (and possibly loosing any scabbard).

IMHO this doesn't look like a blade that one would want to wield with a single hand (at least upon impact), much less from horseback...

I guess, we do need to handle this piece for getting a better grip on it... ;)

Regards,
Kai

Detlef, I could try to guess, but I would rather not, as long as I have not had it in my hand.
The decorations (in this case an elephant head), can be very stylized, and can often be seen on katars - but in this casethey are peacocks, or on gauntlet swords.
Often you have to know what to look for, before you can see them. To this comes that you will have to know how the animals used were shown at the time - so grab a few books.
I must also add, that it is the first time I have seen an elephant head like this - which does not mean a lot, as I have not seen it all.

This is one of the few real items. It's not a souvenir of the late 19th - early 20th century "with a dagger in the handle and the elephant" - numerous copies of real but few ceremonial items of Kutch province. This one is the real historical item from Rajasthan. In Urdu it was called "daste-das" (meaning and translation the same as "bhuj"). Very rare stroke of luck. You're lucky.

Hello Jens,

thank you anyway. I've just taken pictures from it, I still need to resize them before I can post them.

Thank you again,
Detlef

Thank you very much Mercenary!

Best regards,
Detlef

Have received the beast, the blade is laminated, the tip is compressed and a little bit bent, the bolster isn't integral with the blade but "hard-soldered" and the two plates are different thick and it seems that they were red painted at one time, there are still some red paint visible. It's a heavy weapon and thought as thrusting weapon IMVHO instead of slashing. When I attach a string at the two rings the weapon is exactly in balance so I suspect that there was once attached a belt which can laid over the shoulder due the heavy weight of it (approx. 1 kg).
I've taken many pictures, please excuse the quality, it's the best I can manage by the light we have in the moment in Germany.

More

And here a size comparison with my toa.

Hi Detlef,
This is an Indian axe of mine that also has red pigment used to accentuate the designs. I never quite managed to I.D. with absolute certainty the when and the where although Oriental Arms had an axe with red pigmentation and described as probably 18thC and South Indian.
Regards,
Norman.

Hi Detlef,

I have a folding Lohar axe with red pigment on various parts of the piece and have also wondered about its significance. Perhaps this is a form of sacred blessing (puja). Maybe some of our Southern Asian members could explain more.

Ian.

Hello Norman and Ian,

most interesting! And like Ian I hope that someone who is more familiar with Indian weapons will be able to explain why this red pigment is added to the weapons. :shrug:

Regards,
Detlef

Japanese had red paint in the fuller of their naginatas

Egerton has a similar example in his book, listed as Buckie.
I have 2, but their blades are of normal uniform thickness and are straight.
Here is one of them.

For the same kind of red lac see A Passion for Indian Arms pp. 350-53, or the picture below.

Hello Ariel,

yes, it will be used in a similar way but it seems to be a different weapon.

Regards,
Detlef

Thank you Jens! :)

Regards,
Detlef