South Indian Ankus

The use of elephants as important method of transport is settled within India as early as 4000 BC when the first elephants believed to be tamed in the Indus Valley. The elephant is considered sacred by the Hindu as they believe they are incarnated from Ganesh, the elephant god. The ‘ankusa‘ is the Sanskrit word for elephant goad and is considered both functional as ceremonial. It is considered one of the eight auspicious ‘Ashtamangala‘ objects. It consists of a shaft with an attached spearhead and sharp hook, often decorated with fine chisel work.

The head of the akus features magnificent pierce and chisel work depicting yali, creatures of Hindu mythology, parakeets and Makara heads surrounded by foliage and floral motives. Both points are reinforced and well made. The shaft is divided in four segments and has a brass end depicting a tiger head devouring another creature.

This example seems to be one of a small group of similar Ankus which shows an incredible craftsmanship from South India and are often miss-dated by many museums. While most are dated around the 17th century, this group would have been made in the 19th century to my opinion.