""""A small Chang settlement had been treacherously and completely wiped out by Kalyo Kengyu Nagas from the western slope of the Patkoi. The raiders had taken one hundred and fifty heads and carried off several of the inhabitants" Through the unexplored mountains of the Assam-Burma border, Christoph Von Fürer-Haimendorf, 1938.
Kalyo Kengyu Axe
Country of origin: India, Assam
Dating: 19th century
Materials: Steel, wood
Total size: 60cm
Blade size: 13cm
Price: €600
The Nagas are an ethnic group comprising several tribes (about 30) located in the northeastern region of India (Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh) as well as in the northwestern region of Burma. The majority of Naga tribes practice animist religions, centered around fertility rituals (of individuals as well as the village level). Associated with these fertility rites, headhunting and tattooing are major attributes of the Naga tribes, particularly the Kalyo-Kengyu. This practice, in addition to proving the valour and strength of the warriors, was a sign of good fortune and a harbinger of good harvests. Today called Khiamnungan, their ancient name means: "Men who live in stone houses", because at that time, the majority of Naga tribes lived in wooden houses.
Christophe von Fürer-Haimendorf, in 1938, described them as particularly warlike, carrying spear, shield, dao, the "indispensable" ax characterized as the universal weapon and instrument of the Nagas. Two similar axes can be seen in the Pitts River Museum collections.
Kalyo Kengyu men in ceremonial dress, array of Naga weapons and Khiamnungan axes (left: Christophe von Fürer-Haimendorf, 1938; right: unknown author, 1873)
The axe presented here is constructed identically to the one referenced under number 2017.39.1 at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Its manufacturing is very particular: forged in a single piece of iron, the head extends into a socket, into which a wooden handle, resembling palm tree wood, is inserted. The grinding is of the asymmetrical or chisel type, that is to say flat on the bottom and beveled on the upper part. The cutting edge, equipped with a steel setting, testifies to great mastery of forging.
The handle, decorated with lines and chevrons, has a well-defined shoulder at the transition to the head. The latter is skillfully shaped: very thin at the back and at the top, with four chamfers allowing a gradual increase in thickness. This technique allows the weight to be distributed towards the front of the ax, while maintaining relative lightness.
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