Discover Top Posts Tagged with #elephant goad

An astounding Ankus with a brass "pommel,"

Length: 16 in/40.6 cm

South Indian, ca. 17th century, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

#weapons #ankus #elephant goad #elephant #asia #asian #India #Indian #mughal #mughal empire #themet #metmuseum #art #history

An astounding enamel and diamond set Ankus,

OaL: 21.1 in/53.8 cm

North India, ca. 19th century, from Christie's Auction House.

#weapons #ankus #elephant #elephant goad #enamel #diamond #asia #asian #india #indian #Christie's #art #history

Neat! Little elephant rider lost their head on the way over, but a bit of superglue shall fix that overnight. I’ll take time to polish it all up at some point. Maybe? I quite like the rust on this - it feels honest. Adds character. Shall see. Maybe I’m just fond of the antique. This one still has 50 years to go to become an antique in my mind. Shall outlive me.

What I find interesting (but really it makes sense) is that the butt is closed. To attach it to a rod, I would need to fashion something around the metal, and not the metal around the rod.

Pleasant little piece. Probably cast instead of forged? Definitely cast, can see the joint. The cross-section of the spike and hook are throwing me; need to see if it’s possible to do both. Maybe cast and ground into shape. It feels pleasantly weighty in the hand. Reassuring.

#elephant goad

Allowing myself a treat for the office armoury. Think this cast was from the 60s/70s. Fairly touristy, but I’m fine with that. Might be fun to clean up, might be fun to make the rod for it. Won’t take long to do, and materials are on-hand already.

#ankush #ankus #elephant goad

Ankus (elephant driving instrument) India, 1900

The triangular shaped blade with the rounded apex is supported on the blade by a short banister which lies on a rectangular plinth. This one is completed on one of the sides by the Naga or cobra shaped hook, rolled up with the head facing in and on the other side by a perfectly shaped elephant.

The tubular handle, made of iron, is decorated with a spiral ribbon made of brass, symbolising the body of a Naga. The pommel is made of the same metal, with a truncated conical shape opening at the base into sharp tips closed by a spherical cap.