I say Africa, you say?

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks dennee that's so helpful. I now rather fancy I did quite well.

[Henk]

Tim,

Are you going to clean it so that the koftgari becomes visible? And if so a description of the process with pictures?
Looks like a nice find again.

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks Henk another good buy you say, it must be due to my new hearing aid.
There really is not much more koftgari to see just specks of it all over the item. It is best just left alone to go dark again.

[katana]

My 'off the cuff' suggestion is obviously wrong I have read that a few soldiers made momento's of the Zulu wars (a la 'trench art') and this seemed an ideal candidate. Well spotted Dennee, a pen case it is the idea that it could be used as a cosh seems valid with those bulbous ends.

Still a very interesting object Tim, it is a shame the decoration has deteriated.... the clues it could have given you

[Tim Simmons]

This is interesting. A good addition to the MET publication "Warriors of the Himalayas" many of the photographs are the but with a little more information.
http://www.rel.su.se/Papers/Tibetan%...y%20Reform.pdf

[dennee]

Yes, Tim, I think you got a good one.

And many thanks for the article.

[Tim Simmons]

Thanks dennee, the first photograph could be seen as quite an amusing reflection on the taste of late Victorian intelligentsia. The knight and his valet just as things should be, indeed 1903 one would be emerging into art nouveau from romantic medievalism. Makes me think of the "Man from La Mancha" but that was Peter O'toole? in 1972.

Thought i had better add this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Quixote