Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

dennee · 10th November 2008, 12:25 AM

Payak and pa-yuk are simply the different spellings I have seen.

No, I can't estimate the age. The humid conditions of the Lepcha areas and the hard work to which these weapons were put would take their toll. The weapons that have survived may be better in quality, at least of decoration---with silver or nickel-silver wire on the grip, and silver or brass 'buttons' pinned to the hilt and sometimes coral and/or turquoise on the scabbard, the most decorated with a silver plate at the end of the scabbard, decorated with these stones---and owned by persons who did not engage in everyday work with such knives. Those in the photographs have such decoration; their owners are presumably farily important personages. The Pitt-Rivers Museum example to which Tim linked was owned by a reincarnated religious leader.

There are surely some nineteenth-century examples, but which, and how early in the century? The British would not be around Sikkim much until during the Anglo-Nepalaese War, and then more so from the mid 19th century. The example shown by Egerton of Tatton was presumably collected during the forty-year period after 1855. It may then be one of the oldest examples in a western collection (where is it? British Museum, V & A, or was it in his personal collection?). Does its blade show differences from later examples? No one will know until one finds it and compares. The Pitt-Rivers example was donated in 1907 but may have been collected years earlier and produced years earlier than that. The photos above mostly date to just after 1900. My own examples could be a century old, but they show little patina on the side of the blade that faces into the sheath. There are also fairly young examples; one that was discussed on this forum within the last year or so had a demon's head pommel and a general newer appearance in the metal fittings that possibly indicated its creation as more of a souvenir, suggesting possible World War II or later date.

About the present example, all I can say is that I have seen one similar example in the U.S., although yours is seems unusual in having the horn at the lower end of the scabbard. The other example to which I refer passed between a few owners within the last few years and had the same fluting as yours (all examples seem to be somewhat concave in profile, however). The other commonality is that they are both otherwise plain, lacking decoration (except for the horn in this case). Perhaps they are pure working knives? Perhaps they are of a later date than some others? I say this only because the other example I saw did not have as much patina on the wood as most ban I have seen.

10th November 2008, 12:25 AM	#8
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	Payak and pa-yuk are simply the different spellings I have seen. No, I can't estimate the age. The humid conditions of the Lepcha areas and the hard work to which these weapons were put would take their toll. The weapons that have survived may be better in quality, at least of decoration---with silver or nickel-silver wire on the grip, and silver or brass 'buttons' pinned to the hilt and sometimes coral and/or turquoise on the scabbard, the most decorated with a silver plate at the end of the scabbard, decorated with these stones---and owned by persons who did not engage in everyday work with such knives. Those in the photographs have such decoration; their owners are presumably farily important personages. The Pitt-Rivers Museum example to which Tim linked was owned by a reincarnated religious leader. There are surely some nineteenth-century examples, but which, and how early in the century? The British would not be around Sikkim much until during the Anglo-Nepalaese War, and then more so from the mid 19th century. The example shown by Egerton of Tatton was presumably collected during the forty-year period after 1855. It may then be one of the oldest examples in a western collection (where is it? British Museum, V & A, or was it in his personal collection?). Does its blade show differences from later examples? No one will know until one finds it and compares. The Pitt-Rivers example was donated in 1907 but may have been collected years earlier and produced years earlier than that. The photos above mostly date to just after 1900. My own examples could be a century old, but they show little patina on the side of the blade that faces into the sheath. There are also fairly young examples; one that was discussed on this forum within the last year or so had a demon's head pommel and a general newer appearance in the metal fittings that possibly indicated its creation as more of a souvenir, suggesting possible World War II or later date. About the present example, all I can say is that I have seen one similar example in the U.S., although yours is seems unusual in having the horn at the lower end of the scabbard. The other example to which I refer passed between a few owners within the last few years and had the same fluting as yours (all examples seem to be somewhat concave in profile, however). The other commonality is that they are both otherwise plain, lacking decoration (except for the horn in this case). Perhaps they are pure working knives? Perhaps they are of a later date than some others? I say this only because the other example I saw did not have as much patina on the wood as most ban I have seen. Last edited by dennee; 10th November 2008 at 12:37 AM.