Thanks very much Spiral, and your points on the Buddhist ancestry of the symbolism of you cintamani are of course quite well placed. I couldn't agree more on the confluence of religions, traditions and cultures coming together as often seen on the weapons, which reflect these influences. The weapons are indeed in effect 'tapestries of culture' that often subtly carry the histories of the regions in which they are used, and the very reason why ethnographic weapons research is so fascinating.
All very best regards,
Jim
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