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3rd July 2020, 09:36 PM | #1 |
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The oldest mentioning of tusk blades was from Timur biography. Of his invasion of the Delhi Sultanates.
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4th July 2020, 06:55 AM | #2 |
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Can you post the text and its source?
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13th July 2020, 01:20 AM | #3 |
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I have some limited experience working with antique Indian & mammoth ivory and while it's very strong, it's also somewhat brittle. When ivory breaks, the cracks can chip & spread like a split log. I assume a elephant tusk broken close to the root would be as painful as a broken tooth is to a human.
In the scenario where tusks are being used as a weapon, the illustrations that show them blunted with metal caps & bands makes the most sense for me, since it would protect the tip from damage & the bands stop splitting. Blades on the ends of caps, while intimidating, could be big levers that would risk breaking the tusk in use. I wouldn't want to ride on top of an frenzied elephant with a toothache & my hypothesis is the bands/caps are to protect the tusks while they're used as bludgeons, and the rarity of tusk swords implies they were tried but abandoned outside parades. |
14th July 2020, 01:09 AM | #4 |
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Welcome to the Forum, rysays, and thanks for these comments.
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14th July 2020, 04:48 AM | #5 | |
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Quote:
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19th July 2020, 11:53 PM | #6 |
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Chinese monk account of sword attachments to the trunk. Artist representation of the same from Gandhara, 1st-2nd+ Century AD.
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20th July 2020, 05:51 PM | #7 |
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Most interesting, Milogow360. Thanks for sharing.
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20th July 2020, 07:38 PM | #8 |
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A bas-relief from the Borobudur temple complex
https://sillynewsboy.wordpress.com/2...tory/#more-839 Thanks to A. G. Maisey |
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