Indian ‘Zaghnal’ axe head

The ‘zaghnal’ (crow beak) is a type of saddle axe used by cavalry forces during battle. The beak shaped blade was mounted on a short staff to reach an efficient impact towards infantryman. The ‘zaghnal’ axes were often made of heavy bronze or steel heads with attached tips and are found in the Northern regions of India, like Gujarat, Rajasthan or the Sindh region.

Our example:

Dating from the 19th century, featuring a fine casted bronze head depicting an elephant attacked by tigers. A common design on ‘zaghnal’ from this period. The bolster is chiseled in floral patterns and is attached to the two leaping tigers which face downward. The base of the blade is embedded in the bronze head depicting curved vines. The blade has a thick reinforced armour piercing tip.