Milam (sword)

Date1800s–early 1900s

Mediumsteel, brass, animal hair, leather

Dimensions87.6 cm (34 1/2 in.), 2 lb, 12 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.466

DescriptionSingle flattened bar of steel. Double edge blade widening to bluntly pointed end. Blade with obtuse angle (dog's-leg) below grip; grip widens near its middle to be pierced transversely by an iron rod wrapped with copper-alloy sleeves (one of which appears to be lost), its ends adorned with hair tassels held by leather washers. Pair of short flat projections below rod, on blade, simply adorned with inscribed lines. Tang tapers to form flattened fan-shaped terminal. Blade proper has probably been over cleaned.
Label TextThis sword exists at a crossroads between the local and the global. Forged from a single piece of steel and adorned with hair tufts and chiseled decorations on its slender hilt of bare metal, its form is unique amongst blade weapons the world over. In the past, Garo warriors used it not only for warfare, but also for everyday tasks like chopping wood, clearing brush, and cutting up food. Although this milam is over a hundred years old, such swords still figure in Garo culture and identity today. But this weapon’s presence in Worcester attests to its participation in worldwide systems of exchange. Before it came to the Higgins Collection, it was owned by the Andover Newton Theological Seminary, a Baptist Christian graduate school established in 1825. During the 1800s, Christian missionaries visited India in unprecedented numbers, and amongst the Garo, the Baptists were the most influential. It is possible that an Andover seminarian acquired this sword from the Garo during a religious mission and brought it home as a keepsake. This weapon’s form and its journey to Worcester make it a fascinating object with both local and global stories to tell.ProvenancePermanent loan to HAM by Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Center, MA March 22, 1946 Formal gift to HAM 9/22/98 Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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