Small sickle. Bukhara, 19th century

[milandro]

Originally Posted by David R

Opium knife, for scoring the Poppy head to collect the sap? Or to chop up the raw Opium.

a very good possibility, having looked around on the internet there are some similar ones (and many different ones too), so it may very well be, the shape definitely looks like it may have been devised to score something is some way which would be coherent with a circular motion.


The British museum has one (very much cruder though) which shows similarities


One thought though....this below is a very crude and utilitarian blade the OP is a very much fancier blade, now the average opium farmer doesn't strike me as though they could afford (or want, it is a messy business) a blade that fancy!

[fernando]

Originally Posted by milandro

... now the average opium farmer doesn't strike me as though they could afford (or want, it is a messy business) a blade that fancy!

I was going to say the same; no common farmer would go scoring poppy heads with such a high end piece.

[kai]

Yes, and it's way too long and heavy for such a job!

Regards,
Kai