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Nepalese sword, kora, the broad blade divided into two towards the tip. The hollow hilt is made in sections from thin sheet steel braised together. This is a highly impractical sword and was probably used for symbolic purposes. The blade appears to have been cut from a rolled-steel sheet (rather than forged by a lohar).
It is possible that the divided blade tip is a Shia Muslim reference to Zulfikar (also Dulfiqar), the sword of Ali.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
