{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117387"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117387/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MR1457/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MR1457/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MR1457","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LC2682","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O117387/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117387","accessionNumber":"3102(IS)","objectType":"Sacrificial axe","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The sacrificial axe (Ram da) was made in Bengal, in eastern India, probably about 1870. It has a heavy steel blade and a wooden handle. Axes of this kind are associated with goat or buffalo sacrifices to the Hindu goddesses Kali or Durga. The heavy blade aided the downward thrust to perform the sacrifice in one movement. Any obstruction to a sacrifice is considered to be a bad omen. The handle is inlaid with brass, and it has brass mounts and a gilt finial, inlaid with black and red lac (a natural resin). An eye is engraved on each face of the blade. An engraved inscription in Bengali gives the name of the maker and his place of residence: \"Shri Becharam Karmakar san Naupala\" (Becharam Karmakar lived in Naupala (Napara?). His family name indicates that he belonged to the ironsmiths' caste (Karmakar). Kamarpara (neighbourhood of ironsmiths) in Ranaghat, Nadia District in Bengal, at one time housed prosperous smithies and forges as cottage industries. \r\nThe axe was acquired by the Indian Museum in London from the Annual International Exhibition of 1874, also in London. It was transferred with other parts of the Indian Museum's collection to the South Kensington Museum, later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum, in 1879.","physicalDescription":"The sacrificial axe ('Ram da') has a heavy steel blade and a wooden handle. The handle has brass inlay with brass mounts and gilt finial, inlaid with black and red lac. An eye is engraved on each face of the blade,as well as the name of the maker and his place of residence: 'Shri Becharam Karmakar san Naupala in Bengali.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Karmakar, Becharam","id":"A15436"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"steel","id":"AAT133751"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wrought steel and wood","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"India Museum","id":"THES286062"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2020MR1457","2018LC2682"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES390731"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sacrificial axe","id":""}],[{"text":"Rám dá'o","id":""}],[{"text":"Kharga","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bengal","id":"x30825"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1900-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Transferred from the India Museum in 1879","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"95.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"58.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"blade","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"handle","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Total length of blade (58.7cm) and handle (36.5cm).","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Shri Bechram Karmakar san Naupala' on the blade.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Mr Becharam Karmakar of Naupala (Napara?)","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscription in Bengali gives the maker's name and his place of residence."},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""},{"content":" ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Acquired from the Vienna Exhibition in 1874.\nAs originally arranged and displayed in Exhibition Road Indian Museum galleries until 1955, with some additions while in storage, case F.703","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sacrificial axe <i>Ram da</i> with a heavy steel blade and a wooden handle with brass inlay, Nepal, 19th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Rawson, P.S., The Indian Sword: a catalogue raissone of the Indian collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum Part II, MA degree thesis 1952, pp.205-206.\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 102, Cat. No. 352"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Rawson, P.S., The Indian Sword, London, Herbert Jenkins, 1968, p.55, fig.30."},{"reference":{"text":"Arts of Bengal : the heritage of Bangladesh and eastern India : an exhibition organized by the Whitechapel Art Gallery in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum : 9 November-30 December 1979, Whitechapel Art Gallery ..., 12 January-17 February 1980, Manchester City Art Gallery ... . [London]: Whitechapel Art Gallery, [1979] Number: 085488047X (pbk.) :","id":"AUTH339757"},"details":"p.74","free":"\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Egerton, (Lord) of Tatton, A Description of Indian and Oriental Armour, London: W.H. Allen & Co. Limited 1896, p.102, pl.IX (350)."},{"reference":{"text":"Egerton, Wilbraham, <i>An illustrated handbook of Indian arms; being a classified and descriptive catalogue of the arms exhibited at the India museum: with an introductory sketch of the military history of India</i>, London, 1880","id":"AUTH353483"},"details":"p.102","free":""}],"production":"The maker Becharam Karmakar lived in Naupala (Napara?), a neighbourhood of Ranaghat, Nadia District. His family name indicates that he belonged to iron smith caste (Karmakar). Kamarpara (neighbourhood of iron smiths) in Ranaghat at one time housed prosperous smithies and forges as cottage industries. Transferred from the India Museum to South Kensington Museum in 1879","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Hinduism","id":"AAT73727"},{"text":"ritual","id":"x38263"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["3102(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"3102","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Egerton Catalogue Number","id":"THES50387"},"number":"352"},{"type":{"text":"India Museum Slip Book","id":"THES50388"},"number":"9,150"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-30","availableToBook":true}}