How old is the kora, as a type?

JPSF · 6th September 2005, 05:15 PM

Gents
as I said in my little talk this past March information regarding the kora in any form is nigh impossible to find much less verify. Many ethnographic experts believe it to be the only weapon truly specific to Nepal or more accurately that area of the Himilayas. With so much evidence pointing to 16th c and earlier use in India I wonder just when and how the design came down from the north, or is it a case of similar design from different sources? The earliest example I have is from Bhutan (4th from right) and while impossible to date exactly is most likely a 16th c piece.

The kora is pictured in recently found photos showing Nepalese warriors from around 1860 all armed with kukris & koras. http://www.ikrhs.com/phpBB2/viewtopi...er=asc&start=0

The kora is also still used to behead animals for certain religious ceremonies and contemporary pictures exist of old style koras being carried during these celebrations.

While there are weapons from the earliest days of India no koras seem to have surfaced except for some from the late 1700s with khanda style grips so it begs the question of existence to match their depictions in paintings and sculpture.

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6th September 2005, 05:15 PM	#9
JPSF Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 56	Gents as I said in my little talk this past March information regarding the kora in any form is nigh impossible to find much less verify. Many ethnographic experts believe it to be the only weapon truly specific to Nepal or more accurately that area of the Himilayas. With so much evidence pointing to 16th c and earlier use in India I wonder just when and how the design came down from the north, or is it a case of similar design from different sources? The earliest example I have is from Bhutan (4th from right) and while impossible to date exactly is most likely a 16th c piece. The kora is pictured in recently found photos showing Nepalese warriors from around 1860 all armed with kukris & koras. http://www.ikrhs.com/phpBB2/viewtopi...er=asc&start=0 The kora is also still used to behead animals for certain religious ceremonies and contemporary pictures exist of old style koras being carried during these celebrations. While there are weapons from the earliest days of India no koras seem to have surfaced except for some from the late 1700s with khanda style grips so it begs the question of existence to match their depictions in paintings and sculpture.