Dagger - India - 1800-1900

Fakir's crutch or Baigragi, 19th century

Vuisthamer/ Baigragi, India
Total length 63.5 cm, top width 23 cm, steel blade length 28 cm.
Iron / steel, bronze, 19th century.
Fakirs staff of Baigragi, 19th century. An iron staff topped with a bronze hand holding a 23 cm wide tip that tapers into a bronze knop. Attached to this is a steel dagger concealed within the long hollow shaft. The upper part of the staff can be unscrewed, revealing a long, slender stiletto-like dagger tip.
Indian fakirs, bedelmonks, were not allowed to carry weapons. To circumvent this rule, they carried a short staff or scepter containing a hidden knife. This Baigragi is a classic example from the 19th century: a fully steel shaft with a hidden dagger of 28 cm. This stabbing weapon has a diamond-shaped cross-section and features a slightly serrated edge on the blade. The handle is shaped like a point or horn held by a hand. Usually, a lion's head serves as a pommel on the broad side of the horn, but in this example, it is a round knob—possibly a replacement for a lion or panther head. The tip is made of steel. The knob and the finely engraved handle are made of brass or bronze. Total length 63.5 cm. In good condition.
Such fakir staffs can be found in various weapon collections, for example, several specimens in the Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur, India.