Pair of Malabar Coast Knives
 

Dear Forum Members,

This is my first post and I want to thank everyone for including me. I would like to share a pair of unusual knives with the forum.

Two knowledgeable friends have suggested this pair of knives are probably from the Malabar Coast of India. I'm guessing they date to the 19th to early 20th century. The knives are 12 3/4" long overall and feel well balanced when held. I wonder how they would have been used?

Best regards,
KeithJ

Keith,

You have a very nice pair of knives there. I think your friends are on the right track with the probable origin of these knives. They have a certain resemblance to Ayda Katti found amongst the Coorg. The blade, with the double fullers, have an almost Nepalese Khukri look to them and is not something I recall seeing in Ayda Katti. The checkered grip is also reminiscent of Ayda Katti. The Coorg reside in the broad region referred to as the Malabar Coast so I think these knives certainly originate in this broad region but perhaps more closely to the Coorg.

Keith,

I concur, I believe it is from the Malabar coast of India. Here is a similar one (and my description) of one I have previously sold.

Regards,
Runjeet

A finely made small South Indian Sacrificial Chopper, with influences taken from larger choppers from the South West Coast of India (Malabar Coast).

The highly burnished blade is superbly ground on both sides, with a razor sharp edge. A central V shaped brass block, presumably a practical design to allow the blood to drip away from the hand.

A faceted brass bolster and pommel mounted on a highly polished horn haft. A wonderfully made intriguing item, perhaps made for a demanding Englishman in India, who insisted on this high quality of finish. Most likely used for sacrificing small birds.

Overall length: 13in (332mm)
Blade length: 4.5in (115mm)

Not only are these gorgeous knives, that is, beautifully mounted and decorated, but the blades recall very very early styles(forward curving) that are rarely seen outside of that region.

Lovely pieces!

Thank you all for the feedback and opinions.

RSword, Haha, I thought they were fancy khukri when I acquired them, but was soon corrected by a more knowledgeable friend. I have started researching Coorg weapons on your advice.

Akaalarms, the kards you have on your website are beautiful, I really like the ones with the gold decoration! Beautiful Indian chopper and the brass bolster is similar, and sort of how the blade was crafted too.

Charles, thank you, I admired them from the moment I saw them.

Does my dating of late 19th - early 20th century seem accurate?

Best regards,
KJ

Salaams KeithJ The designs appear to reflect the commonly grown pineapple plant. The thumb rest at the hilt appear to be pineapple form. This style of carving is also seen on Malibar chests carved into the front section...see photo below; somewhat oddly preferred as marriage chests in parts of Yemen... clearly linked to the cross Indian Ocean trade.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Dear Ibrahiim,

The engraving does look like it might be pineapples. One of the engraved sides also has a bird, I wonder if the bird could be identified. Thank you for your enlightening post.

Best regards,
KeithJ

As far as dating, it really is anyone's guess but just given the overall quality, style of blade, patina to the brass and wood parts, my guess would be mid to late 19th century.

Salaams KeithJ It looks like it could be The Malabar Trogon There are 180 birds in the region to chose from but this is perhaps the only one with a neck arrangement similar to the subject photo at #1... I agree with the date by RSWORD.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Pineapple? Or Pandanus? I can't tell, but they have similar fruits, at least when it comes to engraving at this level of complexity. In any event, the only thing a pineapple would tell was that it was 16th century or later, which I think most of us would guess based entirely on the blade.

Best,

F

cross etching
Salaams fearn~ Not quite the full story. In fact it is sometimes very difficult to pinpoint age on decoration alone. The carving, however, tells us that it's Malabari.. since design in associated woodcarving e.g. The Malabari Chest, carries the same style on the front and in addition what is not visible on the chest is the side panels which are cross etched # also like the daggers.

The age is agreed at about late 19th early 20th C.. but as you point out ... additionally from the general appearance, the blade wear and a certain feeling of its antiquity. The wood carving of that era in Malabar chests presents us with some linked evidence so I think the overall impression leads us to the age conclusion. The evidence is in the chests and the gut feeling is in the look of the item. One is factual whilst the other is apparent no?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Dear Ibrahiim,

The question of using the chests carving to date the knives is an interesting one. It does raise a few questions, the main one being, when did carvings of a similar design appear in the Malabar Coast area? Is the engraved design a 19th century creation or was it copied from an earlier period? Some research into the area of MC pieces with similar designs on other mediums (furniture, fabric, metal wares), might add some insight into the age.

Best regards,
KeithJ

Salaams KeithJ The design carving featured on Malabari Chests is traditional to that region... You may like to go back several centuries to the root of this style but it is somewhat irrelevant. The chests show the same carving style essentially as your daggers ... I have collected Malabar chest for 30 years thus I was delighted to see similar work on these knives. The chest I show is antique and well within the limits for comparison.. though of course other material may well materialize and you may discover similar designs in other wooden objects... furniture and the like.

Here walking past my office there are many people from Malabar and just the other day I looked at the region with some interest as I needed to know what it must have been like say 400 or 500 years ago ~ For this I needed the web..since my library is small. I found an amazing reference which I thoroughly recommend to Forum;

The Project Gutenberg E Book of A Description of the Coasts of East Africa
and Malabar, by Duarte Barbosa

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar
in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century

Author: Duarte Barbosa

Translator: Henry E. J. Stanley

Release Date: December 9, 2011 [EBook #38253]

Language: English

Here you will find the early documentation with descriptions of what it was like on the Malabar Coast in a time frame suitable to Ethnographic Arms enthusiasts on that region... It is an eye opener !

Back to the detective work... Decorative design on unrelated items is just one additional way of getting a reference date bracket on some of these tools and weapons... like everything else it is a guide.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

The Moplah (or Ada Katti, or Ayudha Katti) Malabar.
 

Salaams all... Library note... This type of battle weapon of the Moplah tribe of Malabar... famous for having such devastating effect close in... was gathered up and thrown into the sea (by the British) such was its reputation. It is almost an axe but not quite...I think it is as close as you can get to a Kukri ...

see http://www.forensicfashion.com/1921MoplahRebel.html

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Salaams all... Having revued the chest detail it may be that the structure of the plant could be Pineapple, Durian or Bread Fruit though I tend to go for Pineapple.. anyway it is neither here nor there as they are all Malabar Fruits.

Such a pity that the subject items at #1 are not original form but appear to be later presentation pieces rather perhaps of the tourist variety but interesting non the less. They may be around the mid 20th C and of sentimental value at one time to the original owner.

Finally I would say these are interesting interpretations of these historic weapons and always good to see modern craftsmen adhering to the traditional styling to some degree as they work to produce their wares. Best of luck with these and hopefully the material presented here will add to or corroborate any other you may already have acquired in your own research.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi. :shrug: