Ayda Kattis; Need help with the inscription on blade???

[olikara]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Very well done Nidhin - and fast as well .
Jens

You're welcome Jens. The piece is intriguing because of the language the date is written in. The writing is excellent and typical of that era. The patina is good and the inscription has set well into it denoting time.

However, I would have expected the Malayalam era Year and month on the piece instead of the English/Gregorian calendar date, especially for a temple offering. Most Malayalees used the Malayalam Era instead of the English one till the early part of the 20th Century.

This being said pieces with both Malayalam era dates and English era dates together as well as only English era dates are also found frequently. Kerala was foremost among the Southern states to accept Western (read British Anglican) education wholeheartedly and English language primary schools began in the early 1800s itself, open to all castes rather than only the higher ones as maybe in Madras and Calcutta Presidency.

So if you ask me one reason why I like the piece, it is because the date is written as per the English calendar and not the traditional Malayalam one.