Hello Detlef, Now that you have your beautiful new toy in hand I have a couple of questions. Is the metal on the end of the hilt a simple band or is it an actual cap that completely covers the end? If this is a cap would it be possible to carefully remove it to see if the hilt has been weighted (usually with lead) to balance this piece? If it is only a band, is there any sign of the hilts end ever having being weighted such as a lead slug or a now empty hole where a weight might have been? My reason for asking is that I have seen this done on some of the other small panabas that I have been fortunate enough to handle over the years. If the hilt on your example has been weighted for balance it would tend to add to my belief that this was originally made not only as a status piece but as a weapon as well. This of course is only my personal opinion and like many times before I could be completely wrong in my assumption. My congratulations to you on being able to add such a wonderful and rare item to your collection.
Best,
Robert
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