Early 20th C. Naga Indian Iron Headhunter's Axe - Dao

Central Asia, India/Burma border, Nagaland, Naga people, ca. early 20th century CE. A wondrous iron headhunter's weapon known as a dao with a broad, curved blade head with a sharpened edge on one side and a protruding openwork element on the opposite side. The slender tang is inserted into the top of a wooden handle and tightened with wrapped rattan fibers, and four rings of braided fibers create a gripping surface on the lower handle end. A coarse tuft of horsehair or goat fur protrudes upwards from the base of the handle, and a red wax impression is displayed on one side of the upper handle. Size: 5.625" W x 22.5" H (14.3 cm x 57.2 cm)

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired between 2000 and 2005; ex-Fagan Arms, Clinton Township, Michigan, USA

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#151935
Condition Report: Minor nicks and areas of staining to blade head and wooden handle, with slight bending to iron blade head, fraying to some wrapped rattan fibers, and darkening to areas of wooden handle. Great patina throughout.