Turban Ornament in the Form of a Bagh Nakh ("tiger claw")
Culture
Punjab
, northern India
Date1700s–1800s
Mediumsteel
Dimensions10.5 × 5.5 cm (4 1/8 × 2 3/16 in.), 2 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.508
Label TextConcealable weapons have an international fascination, from the European sword-cane to Asian pieces like this bagh nakh, an assassin's weapon. Many concealable weapons were made chiefly as curiosities, but in 1659 the Hindu leader Shivaji used a bagh nakh to assassinate the Mughal general Afzhal Khan. Such weapons were worn with the fingers through the rings, concealing the "claws" in the closed hand.
Across India the tiger is venerated as a vehicle of the Goddess, reflecting her ferocious power. In Mysore where this weapon was common, the Goddess was worshipped in the villages as a tiger.ProvenancePurchased by Museum on March 20, 1933 from Sumner Healey (NYC), his no. 474.
Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.On View
Not on view
