Object Title

Elephant tusk sword

Date

about 1600

Object Number

XXVIM.40 A

Provenance

Purchased from the Earl of Powis, 20 November 1997. Acquired in India by Lady Clive, wife of Edward, 2nd Lord Clive (Governor of Madras), between 1798 and 1800, and brought back to England in 1801; displayed in the Elephant Room at Powis Castle. Purchased as part of a pair of tusk swords with XXVIM.40 B.

Physical Description

The tusk swords take the form of massive steel sockets with three moulded reinforcing bands and rounded ends, from which great double-edged, double-curved blades with reinforced points extend. The blades have solid, onion-shaped ricassos, and double fullers at either side of a medial ridge. Both were originally fitted with three metal loops on the middle reinforcing band, though one of these is broken and missing on each. The inside of each socket tapers to a flat end, and is intended to fit over the sawn-off tusk.

Materials

Steel

Dimensions

Tusk sword A blade	Length	423 mm
Tusk sword A blade	Width	83 mm
Tusk sword A overall	Length	657 mm
Tusk sword A	Weight	4.564 kg
Tusk sword A socket	Width	132 mm
Tusk sword A socket	iner width	98 mm

Inscriptions and Marks

None

Associations

Places India/Asia

Bibliographic References

Thom Richardson, The elephant tusk swords, Royal Armouries Yearbook 4, 1999: 133-134

Thom Richardson, An introduction to Indian arms and armour, Leeds, Royal Armouries, 2007: 40

Indian Arms and Armour

Notes

Surviving tusk swords are extremely rare.

Amongst the other known tusk swords are two pairs from the dispersed Mysore arsenal, which are rather small and decorative compared to those in the Royal Armouries' collection. Both these pairs have very short brass sockets cast with moulded reinforcing bands, and short, straight double-edged blades of diamond section; the blades are riveted to decorative brass extensions of the sockets, which are waisted where they join the sockets; the inherent weakness of this construction illustrates their role as decorative rather than practical objects.

A single example of a tusk sword which is thought to be 15th-17th century in date resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, accession number 2015.103.

A pair of 'tusk covers' with blades exist in the collection of the Ganga Golden Junilee Museum in Bikaner, accession number 835 BM, which are catalogued as 18th century. (See 'Museums of Rajasthan ' by Jawahar Kala Kendra, p.81)

There was previously a reasonably substantial (therefore fairly early?) pair which formed part of the Moser-Charlottenfels collection and are displayed in the 1912 Leipzig catalogue.

Information

The collections data published on Royal Armouries Collections Online has been compiled over the life of the museum. We are aware that some of the records reflect ideas that are now outdated or contain terminology that may now be considered discriminatory or offensive. We are actively taking steps to resolve these issues and will review and update records accordingly. Please contact us to improve our knowledge of the collection or draw our attention to any material that you believe to be discriminatory or offensive by using the "improve our records" button above.

Elephant armour (bargustavan-i-pil), South Asia, 17th 18th century, XXVIA.102
In 2004, this elephant armour set a Guinness World Record for 'largest suit of animal armour'. It is the only surviving, near-complete mail and plate example from the Mughal era in a public collection. The armour currently contains around 5,840 plates, and weighs 118kg. If complete (two body panels are missing) it would weigh nearly 160kg.

In South Asia, elephants featured in warfare from the first millennium BC until the 19th century. Throughout India, from at least the 11th century AD, armies often protected their war elephants with armour using materials like padded fabric, leather, mail and metal plate defences. Paintings often show metal elephant armour covered in colourful textiles.

This armour was probably made around the 17th century, but it is difficult to say exactly where or for whom. The plate and mail structure was most widely used in northern and central India, particularly in Muslim states. However, the peacock, lotus bloom and fish motifs embossed on the larger panels may indicate it was made or used in an area which maintained at least some frameworks of Hindu belief and reference. The known history of this armour also suggests possible ties to southern India, as it was acquired between 1798 and 1801 by Lady Henrietta Clive, whilst her husband was Governor of Madras.

Tusk swords. South Asia, 16th 17th century, XXVIM.40
When lodged on the tusks of a charging elephant, these swords would have made fearsome weapons. Surviving tusk swords are extremely rare. Most other surviving examples are later in date, flimsier and decorative, suited to parade and display. In contrast, these swords are extremely robust with massive reinforced points, strengthening bands moulded around the bases, and rings which presumably allowed the sockets to be strapped firmly to the tusks. During the later Mughal era, references to such swords being used in battle across India became much less frequent, so these hefty fighting examples are probably from the earlier period. The graceful, double-curved and heavily grooved blades are very similar to those found on south Indian spears, daggers, and elephant goads.

Like the elephant armour, these swords were acquired by Lady Henrietta Clive when she was in India between 1798 and 1801. Lady Clive's time was spent in the southern territories; as well as her official duties in Madras, in 1800 she conducted a seven-month tour through the surrounding states. She then returned to Britain in 1801. In an inventory of the objects she brought back with her, she recorded the tusk swords alongside the armour as '2 swords for the Tooth'.