Ceremonial Brass Adze for ID

Martin Lubojacky · 25th February 2014, 07:27 AM

Hi,
I saw something simmilar described as Touareg salt adze from Mali. But if there is a head of "classical deer" as a decorative motif, it could also be from Morocco (Atlas ?) or Algeria.
Regards,
Martin

Martin Lubojacky · 25th February 2014, 07:37 AM

I don´t want to exclude India....., too. I am thinking about it further, since I did not see stones (an rounded axe motif) on such Sahel hammers

Cthulhu · 25th February 2014, 06:57 PM

Thanks for all the ideas. The consensus seems to be that I'm in the wrong place; I should have posted on the Ethnographic Kitchen Implements forum. Now I'm even happier I didn't bid.

I was glad to see Tim Simmons' answer, and immediately did an image search for "Somali sugar adze." That turns up four images of exactly the right thing so it would seem confirmed. Unfortunately those four images are from Tim Simmons' own post on a past thread on vikingsword saying it's a Somali sugar adze, so it's a bit circular as confirmations go. LOHAR - Solving The Mistery
Tim, do you recall where you heard/read this?

I can find plenty of pictures of Tuareg sugar hammers, now that I know there is such a thing. They all seem pretty similar to each other in design, and while I can see similarities they're sufficiently different from this weird thing to make me think this is from a different culture, time, or place. Particularly the deer and bird ornamentation. Now that I've seen three different ones, it makes me more convinced that these are a particular tool, rather than a crazy one-off from from mad artisan.

But if there's limited interest in discussing this non-weapon, I'm regardless pleased to think of it as a sugar hammer.

Tim Simmons · 26th February 2014, 02:44 PM

If you Google Safavid sugar axe you will see similar item. Your bronze piece could be Yemen.

Cthulhu · 26th February 2014, 04:29 PM

I saw that Safavid sugar axe yesterday and dismissed it because it didn't have the deer and bird ornamentation, nor the crazy flange on the back. But taking another look, you're absolutely right. If you Google brass adze reindeer (web search, not image search) you get a Worthpoint page with a tool with the same overall shape as the Safavid piece, same hammer on one side, similar dotted circle on the top of the blade, plus the deer and bird ornaments. Your example from the lohar thread also has that dotted circle, plus the flange in place of the hammer and the inset stones. And the dotted circle is gone in the one in my pics. So it seems to have undergone a gradual evolution to be more and more ornate.

While I still don't know it's native name or where exactly it's from, knowing its origins is just as good. Thanks!

26th February 2014, 04:29 PM	#5
Cthulhu Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Central Valley, California Posts: 46	I saw that Safavid sugar axe yesterday and dismissed it because it didn't have the deer and bird ornamentation, nor the crazy flange on the back. But taking another look, you're absolutely right. If you Google brass adze reindeer (web search, not image search) you get a Worthpoint page with a tool with the same overall shape as the Safavid piece, same hammer on one side, similar dotted circle on the top of the blade, plus the deer and bird ornaments. Your example from the lohar thread also has that dotted circle, plus the flange in place of the hammer and the inset stones. And the dotted circle is gone in the one in my pics. So it seems to have undergone a gradual evolution to be more and more ornate. While I still don't know it's native name or where exactly it's from, knowing its origins is just as good. Thanks! Last edited by Cthulhu; 26th February 2014 at 10:25 PM. Reason: Clarifying "similar to what"

25th February 2014, 07:27 AM	#1
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 843	Hi, I saw something simmilar described as Touareg salt adze from Mali. But if there is a head of "classical deer" as a decorative motif, it could also be from Morocco (Atlas ?) or Algeria. Regards, Martin

25th February 2014, 07:37 AM	#2
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 843	I don´t want to exclude India....., too. I am thinking about it further, since I did not see stones (an rounded axe motif) on such Sahel hammers

25th February 2014, 06:57 PM	#3
Cthulhu Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Central Valley, California Posts: 46	Thanks for all the ideas. The consensus seems to be that I'm in the wrong place; I should have posted on the Ethnographic Kitchen Implements forum. Now I'm even happier I didn't bid. I was glad to see Tim Simmons' answer, and immediately did an image search for "Somali sugar adze." That turns up four images of exactly the right thing so it would seem confirmed. Unfortunately those four images are from Tim Simmons' own post on a past thread on vikingsword saying it's a Somali sugar adze, so it's a bit circular as confirmations go. LOHAR - Solving The Mistery Tim, do you recall where you heard/read this? I can find plenty of pictures of Tuareg sugar hammers, now that I know there is such a thing. They all seem pretty similar to each other in design, and while I can see similarities they're sufficiently different from this weird thing to make me think this is from a different culture, time, or place. Particularly the deer and bird ornamentation. Now that I've seen three different ones, it makes me more convinced that these are a particular tool, rather than a crazy one-off from from mad artisan. But if there's limited interest in discussing this non-weapon, I'm regardless pleased to think of it as a sugar hammer.

26th February 2014, 02:44 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	If you Google Safavid sugar axe you will see similar item. Your bronze piece could be Yemen.