Lohar from Afghanistan

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

... Stone writes in the text to the illustration. 'The handle and the back of the blade are inlaid with silver.

This is interesting, as he points out that the decoration is only at the back of the blade - and not on both sides.

Jens, if you look at all the other examples posted here, the orientation of the Stone example is reversed. One possibility is that the Stone picture has been transposed, another is that the Stone example is a left-handed version of this weapon/tool. In each of the other examples, the decoration is on the front of the blade, so I think it is more likely that the Stone picture is indeed a left-handed version.


Ian.

[ariel]

Can we guess the dominant function of a Lohar by the configuration of its edge/tip?

Most of the examples shown here are hawkbills ( talons) with somewhat concave edge. That would imply their function as mainly cutting implements ( sickles, for example ). The last two folders shown by Ian have clip points, more suitable for precise breaking up, chipping at or picking at something hard, such as ice ( in a way, a zagnol-type ).