Nineteenth century katar with triangular steel blade with a raised medial ridge produced from handle of the same material. The handle is designed so that the weapon is used from the knuckles. It consists of two parallel bars joined by a double transverse hand grip. The handle is decorated with an intricate gilt koftgari including pavilions amid vegetal patterns. The sheath is shaped to the blade and is made of wood covered with black velvet with curvilinear brass openwork decoration at the mouth and tip. The handle has been gilded at a later date, probably in the early twentieth century. The scabbard is of a generic twentieth century type and does not match the knife.
Warriors are often depicted fighting with a katar in each hand. See for example the sculpture depicting a man fighting a tiger which forms part of the Ranganatha Temple, Srirangam, illustrated in Elgood (2004) p148.
fighting
