Battle Axe
probably 19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
As better defensive armour was adopted, so more effective weapons were developed to counter it. The crowbill was a variety of saddle or poll axe intended primarily for use as a close quarter weapon from horseback. As such it was one variety of saddle axes widely adopted by cavalry fighting in the Indo-Persian tradition.
The crowbill has a thickened, armour piercing blade. Unlike a conventional saddle axe, the crowbill has no hammer head opposite the blade. The elephant motif has a practical as well as symbolic function. The figure counterbalances the blade as well as symbolises strength. There may also be an allusion to the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh as 'Remover of obstacles'.
The curved blade could be used either in sweeping, hooking attacks overarm or with an underarm polo-like swinging motion at approximately head height. The devastating results of such attacks at speed from horseback against opponents on foot can only be imagined.
The crowbill has a thickened, armour piercing blade. Unlike a conventional saddle axe, the crowbill has no hammer head opposite the blade. The elephant motif has a practical as well as symbolic function. The figure counterbalances the blade as well as symbolises strength. There may also be an allusion to the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh as 'Remover of obstacles'.
The curved blade could be used either in sweeping, hooking attacks overarm or with an underarm polo-like swinging motion at approximately head height. The devastating results of such attacks at speed from horseback against opponents on foot can only be imagined.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Steel on a wooden shaft |
| Brief description | Battle axe Zaghnal steel on a wooden shaft, Kolhapur, probably 19th century. |
| Physical description | Battle axe or crowbill zaghnal or hoolurge The forged steel head is composed of a curved ribbed steel blade thickened at the point attached by a chiselled, square section collar to a plain wooden haft with a turned spherical pommel or knop. The blade is counterbalanced on the other side of the collar with a small steel elephant figure with a raised trunk. |
| Credit line | Transferred from the India Museum in 1879 |
| Object history | As originally arranged and displayed in Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, with some additions while in storage, case F.710 |
| Production | Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | As better defensive armour was adopted, so more effective weapons were developed to counter it. The crowbill was a variety of saddle or poll axe intended primarily for use as a close quarter weapon from horseback. As such it was one variety of saddle axes widely adopted by cavalry fighting in the Indo-Persian tradition. The crowbill has a thickened, armour piercing blade. Unlike a conventional saddle axe, the crowbill has no hammer head opposite the blade. The elephant motif has a practical as well as symbolic function. The figure counterbalances the blade as well as symbolises strength. There may also be an allusion to the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh as 'Remover of obstacles'. The curved blade could be used either in sweeping, hooking attacks overarm or with an underarm polo-like swinging motion at approximately head height. The devastating results of such attacks at speed from horseback against opponents on foot can only be imagined. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 3505(IS) |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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