Hi Katana,
This one has been a puzzler, and the head on this certainly does not correspond with any of the battle axes or hafted weapons I can find of either Africa or India. While it does have a spear point which brings to mind the Indian 'zaghnal', a form of dagger axe, it really only has elemental similarity.
The downward sloping tail form at the rear of the head brings to mind the elephant goad 'ankus', which of course this is not.
As has been stated, the finish does not seem African, so I decided to look into possible European association. In "Boarders Away", W.Gilkerson, 1991, p.33, a boarding axe termed 'antrebiler' used in Denmark and Sweden is shown from early 19th c. which has similar tail type poll (=rear of head) but the small curved axe head, and not the spear point . Specifically noted is the downward sloping pick head.It is noted that similar type axes were used in other countries but none specify the distinct spear point type, despite the taillike poll. In "Swords and Blades of the American Revolution" (Neumann,1973, p.268) there are examples of 'spiked tomahawks' which have these distinct spikes at the back of the head.
There are also examples of pipe tomahawks which were furnished to Indians by the French that had spear type blades on the head and were called spontoon tomahawks, and were of the end of the 18th c. Obviously this is not a tomahawk, especially not a pipe tomahawk, but the spear shaped head with French association is worthy of note.
Possibly this axe head may be European and of the 19th century. In Neumann it is noted that 'belt axes' with straight simple handles were common in the 18th c. and also that the spiked poll was well known in Europe (p.258, Neumann) with popularity waning in the mid 19th c.
The African suggestion here seems mostly keyed on the 'snake skin' cover on the haft, which may well be that of the Waran or Nile Monitor Lizard, which is commonly applied to edged weapons in Nilotic regions. Quite possibly through colonial activity such a belt axe might have found its way into either Egypt or the Sudan, and possibly even as early as the Napoleonic period, though I cannot tell the age of this item by photos.
Although purely speculation, it seems worthy of consideration and I would welcome further discussion and other observations.
All best regards,
Jim
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