Hindu mythical creatures

[mahratt]

Dear forum members, help, please, determine what kind of mythical creatures are depicted on the Knuckle-bow of this Khanjarli?
Am I correct in assuming that the 10 figures at the base of the blade are 10 Avatars of Vishnu?

[francantolin]

Hello,
Don't know but it's an exceptional piece !
congratulations !!
A makara head at the end of the knuckle bow ?

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by francantolin

Hello,
Don't know but it's an exceptional piece !
congratulations !!
A makara head at the end of the knuckle bow ?

Thank you for your congratulations! I think that head at the end of the knuckle bow - a head Yali

[mariusgmioc]

This is the most beautifully shaped blade I have seen in a Khanjarli. I wonder if it is wootz?! It doesn't seem to be, so I would say it is from around 1900.

Regarding the small human figures, one can distinguish the two pairs of arms characteristic to many Hindu deities.

While the standing postures look like representations of Vishnu as you correctly assumed, others look more like Shiva (see the ones with red arrow) with the first in the "lotus" position and the other one dancing (Nataraja).

Also, with some imagination one figure may look like Lakshmi (the one with yellow arrow).

However, since it appears there are at least three distinct deities, I can speculate that each figure is supposed to represent a different deity. So maybe with a lot of imagination one can identify Ganesha, Parvati, Hanuman, Brahma, Krishna, etc.

But the level of detail is so poor that these are only speculations and probably only the carver can tell us exactly who they represent.

[Battara]

I agree with Marius on the deities.

[Gustav]

Mahratt is absolutely correct on the 10 avatars of Vishnu depicted here.
Khandjarli is associated with Vishnu symbols.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Gustav

Mahratt is absolutely correct on the 10 avatars of Vishnu depicted here.
Khandjarli is associated with Vishnu symbols.

Thank you Gustav for your comment! And thank you Mahratt for opening this very interesting thread!

I had no idea that the Khanjarli is associated to Vishnu.

In that case the figure I identified as (dancing) Shiva Nataraja must be Kalki, the 10th avatar of Visnu, that is represented as riding a horse.

Then, the first figure on the right of the opposing side would be Matsya, the first avatar of Vishnu, that is represented as half fish. And upon careful examination that figure looks indeed like half fish.

Then, I can assume the figures in-between Matsya and Kalki are the other avatars from right to left.

So, what do you think?