Rick, I'm ashamed of you...."definitely"?
I for one don't think that it's ceremonial, rather just the opposite, and while it may be a one-of-a-kind, it may also be that this simply is the first one that's surfaced, such as my "Philippine bellied chopper from Hal" that remained unique of at least 6 years until the Spanish museum photos were published here and Tom obtained one.We're often tempted to think that all that is known is already known, while in truth, I suspect that more has been forgotten than we'll ever know.
I do think that I'd favor an Afghan/N. India place of origin, and if it's the latter, I suspect that more will surface eventually (and hopefully, at least one in front of me!**grin**)
To me the knuckle guard sems almost to have been welded/brazed on to the existing hilt, and I actually edited it out w/photoshop to see what the effect was, still complete and serviceable looking.
While the holes may have contained gems or such, it's also possible that they were vent hole from the mold so as to keep bubbles from forming in the bronze while it was being cast.
That small notch on the inner grip is what Justin noted, comparing it to a similar feature in many Ottoman knives.
If this is a composite piece, my own gut feelings are that 1) it was made to be used, 2) that it's NOT recent, and 3) it was likely made at a village level with no thoughts of the dreaded "T-word" involved.
Mike
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