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Tiger claw: O.152-1879

Object information

Current Location: Gallery 31 (Armoury)

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Of iron, comprising a straight, triangular blade with a medial rib attached by a rounded reinforce to an iron loop shaped to the hand, with a medial ridge on the outside and a brazed seam, now split open, on the inside. Polished, but heavily pitted from earlier corrosion

Notes

History note: From Ganjam. Probably from Tanjore arsenal

Legal notes

Given by Robert Taylor, MA

Measurements and weight

Length: 13 cm
Weight: 94 g
Width: 8.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by Taylor, Robert, MA

Dating

16th Century
Circa 1500 CE - 1600 CE

Note

From Ganjam in south east India, this devilish weapon was worn over the fingers and was invisible until the fingers were extended – James Bond style.

The Nujum al-‘Ulum of 1570 in the Chester Beatty Library illustrates a similar example with two finger loops and a single spike (Elgood 2004: 216, 235). Conventional examples have four short curved blades and two finger loops. Cambridge 1879 no. 103, ‘These are held hidden in the palm and used like baghnuk.'

Materials used in production

Iron

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 152
  • Method of creation: Inscribed
  • Type: Tag

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: O.152-1879
Primary reference Number: 159931
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 12 May 2021 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Tiger claw" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/159931 Accessed: 2024-12-23 04:40:23

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/159931 |title=Tiger claw |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-23 04:40:23|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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