A Good Axe from The Malabar Coast

A nice 18 or 19th century South Indian Axe/ Sickle shaped Knife from the Malabar coast. A down curving blade 14 1/2 inches long. Steel bolsters, wood grip and a very elegant ornate steel pommel. Total length 20 inches. Good patina on both the blade and handle. Age crack on the handle.

This axe was in use both for fighting/protection as well as agricultural tool. The blade shape of this type reminds the form of blades on the Coorg’s Ayda Katti sword of the Kodava people from Karnataka

The Malabar coast, refers to India’s southwestern coast, which lies on the narrow coastal plain of Karnataka and Kerala states between the Western Ghats range and the Arabian Sea. The coast runs from south of Goa to Kanyakumari on India’s southern tip. The Portuguese established the sea route for trade especially for spices between Europe and India through the Malabar coast and the British took control the area in the early 19c after the Anglo-Mysore wars.