Tiger Claws
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
An assassin's or close quarter grappling weapon composed of 5 curved hooks resembling claws attached to a bar with ring ends through which the first and fourth fingers are passed. Thus held it can be concealed in the palm of the hand. This was made in India in the 19th century and originally acquired by the museum of the East India Company, the Indian Museum in London. In 1879 it was transferred to the South Kensington Museum, later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Metal |
| Brief description | Tiger claws or 'bagh nakh'. An assassin's weapon composed of five curved hooks resembling claws attached to a bar with ring ends through which the first and little fingers are passed. Thus held it can be concealed in the palm of the hand, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, 19th century. Ex India Museum; Arms, metal, Kolapore. Egerton 478 |
| Physical description | A metal weapon called a wagnakh or 'tiger's claw', which has five sharp metal 'claws' attached to a bar with circles at each end so that it can be worn over the first and fourth finger and concealed in the palm of the hand. |
| 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.711 |
| Production | Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879 |
| Summary | An assassin's or close quarter grappling weapon composed of 5 curved hooks resembling claws attached to a bar with ring ends through which the first and fourth fingers are passed. Thus held it can be concealed in the palm of the hand. This was made in India in the 19th century and originally acquired by the museum of the East India Company, the Indian Museum in London. In 1879 it was transferred to the South Kensington Museum, later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 478 - Egerton Catalogue Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 3196(IS) |
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| Record created | July 31, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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