[olikara]

Bhushan,

Congratulations on your katar.

Lew, your ID is positive and as you rightly pointed out, it is from South India.

It is an excellent example of South Indian workmanship on Arms and Armour.

The katar belongs to what is commonly called the 'Tanjore' type. The reason why it is called a Tanjore katar is because katars found in the Tanjore armoury when it was disbanded and a description made by Walhouse exhibit the following set of features:

1. They are of chiselled steel.
2. The hilts can take wider blades but the blades are smaller and probably firangi.
3. The cross bars are all chiselled or pierced too.
4. The katar base where the blade sits is dome shaped and chiselled again.
5. The langets are usually of the same design.
6. Many katars have a string of beads along the outer periphery of the cross guard.

Your katar has all the above features save for the blade which looks like an Indian blade and not a firangi. This is why there is a good fit.

The Tanjore group of katars are usually dated to the 17th century.

Nidhin

P.S. The 'silver' traces you saw on the katar may not be silver but areas of the katar which have not rusted yet! The katar should be made of steel.