{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117399"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117399/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MR1462/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MR1462/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MR1462","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LC2681","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O117399/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117399","accessionNumber":"3085(IS)","objectType":"Sacrificial axe","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This axe was probably made for use in animal sacrifice to the Hindu goddess Kali, and has her eye on each face of the blade. The axe is extremely heavy, and the weight is greater towards the end to made the downward thrust more effective, meaning that the sacrifice could more easily be performed in one movement. \r\nIt may have been made in Ranaghat in Nadia District, Bengal. The neighbourhood of ironsmiths (Kamarpara) in Ranaghat at one time housed prosperous smithies and forges as cottage industries. The axe was bought from the Annual International Exhibition of 1872 in London by the Indian Museum. It was transferred with much of the museum's collections 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 with a wooden handle. The handle has brass inlay with brass mounts and gilt finial, inlaid with black and red lac. The grip of the handle is knurled. Human eye and decorative pattern are engraved on each face of the blade as well as the maker's mark: '5.n' in Bengali.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"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":["2020MR1462","2018LC2681"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES390731"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sacrificial axe","id":""}],[{"text":"Rám dá'o","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Nepal","id":"x30053"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Bengal","id":"x30825"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1850","earliest":"1845-01-01","latest":"1854-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Transferred from the India Museum in 1879","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"84.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"50.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"blade","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"33.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"handle","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Total length of blade (50.5cm) and handle (33.6cm).","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"\"5 n.\" in Bengali","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"This may be the maker's mark."},{"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 Annual International Exhibition (London) of 1872\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>, Bengal, ca. 1870","bibliographicReferences":[{"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.75","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 102, Cat. No. 350"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Rawson, P.S., The Indian Sword, London, Herbert Jenkins, 1968, p.55, fig.31."},{"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":"May have been made in Ranaghat in Nadia District, Bengal. Kamarpara (neighbourhood of iron smiths) in Ranaghat at one time housed prosperous smithies and forges as cottage industries.","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":["3085(IS)"],"accessionNumberNum":"3085","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Egerton Catalogue Number","id":"THES50387"},"number":"350"},{"type":{"text":"India Museum Slip Book","id":"THES50388"},"number":"11,908-1872"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-30","availableToBook":true}}