Help requested on Islamic? inscriptions on a heavy axe

[Dom]

the calligraphy don't give any information,

as far as is purely religious mentions,
it's obligatory in Arabic language,
even if the country of origin is not arabic speakers, e.i.; Persia, India

due to what is mentionned on above
no ideas from where it's could come from

without to take a big risk (I'm ready to put one nail on the block under the blade)
it's Indo-Persian
even more Indo than Persan

now I leave the place to my collegues, who could have their appreciations

[Lee]

Dom, I appreciate your courage in stepping forward! Your conclusion of "Indo-Persian, even more Indo than Persian" is exactly what I had come to think about this axe, and like you, I was not really very comfortable with that attribution.

In due course I had consigned it in my mind as "eccentric Indian Raj-era souvenir." Of course, the considerable weight would be the opposite of what one would expect from this attribution and the decoration might also be a bit too restrained. And, of course, the very plain wooden handle would also not fit this scenario. Dull would be consistent, however.

I had also wondered about it being made as an executioner's axe - the mass would be good for that - but then dull becomes a big problem. And, of course, with the help of your translations, such a purpose would appear to be inconsistent with the inscriptions.

Needless to say, I suppose, is that the museum's attribution for their very similar axe is "none of those above." I am still waiting to hear back from them as to any information they might have on the provenance of their example and I will use that as an excuse to see if any other forum members develop the courage to put a fingernail forth...

[RSWORD]

I will "stick my neck" out and say that it is most probably Persian and you might want to have a close look to see if the steel is wootz. The bird imagery looked familiar to me and I was looking through "Persian Steel, The Tanavoli Collection" by James Allen and Brian Gilmour and ran across very similar imagery on a chiseled scabbard mount. On p. 222, they state "The image of a bird of prey attacking a water bird is found on 18th century Iranian saddle-axes. A.S. Melikian-Chirvani suggests that the depiction is of a hawk attacking a heron, and that it is an allegory of royal triumph." I don't know if this particular imagery carried over into India but I have also seen the bird of prey attacking a water bird chiseled at the forte of some khanjar which typically are Persian.

[Lee]

Thanks for your courage in extending your neck, Rsword, and for the insight into the images of the birds. Unfortunately, I have been relying on a friend's copy of Persian Steel, so I will suffer a delay before I can follow-up on that, though your suggestion did lead me to find a hawk attacking a heron on a saddle axe in figure 335 / plate 354 of Arms and Armor from Iran with some discussion on this theme on pp 265-266.

I do not see any trace that the steel is wootz.

[Jeff Pringle]

I agree with RSword on the origin, the style of the carving and the way the chisels were used look very Persian to me – except for the ancillary scrollwork coming off the main cartouche, which has a strong European(?) influence.
Here is a Safavid piece with similar composition & technique, an illustration from the V & A’s “Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World. 8-18th centuries”

[Lee]

Thanks, Jeff. Below is a snapshot of the example in the museum's case. The inscription is different, but it also shares a lot with the inscription in the upper view in the pictures above. The brass inlay and overall design are most similar, including the 'ancillary scrollwork.' Also, a hawk and heron may be discerned over the socket. Both axes are similarly quite dull. I like the more robust cap over the end of the haft on theirs and the expanding geometry of the hammer-head better on the museum's example.

I promise a wider view of the museum display and their attribution soon...

[Jeff Pringle]

Looks like you are keeping your axe in better shape than the museum, Lee!
The question mark behind the European is because the first thing I free-associated with the scroll work on the axe was the engraving on an antique British shotgun I recently saw; but then I remembered Belgian and German examples as well; it was (and still is) a popular way to style engraved gun embellishments in Britain, Europe and America. I’ve noticed a few Indian scrolls that are decorated similarly, but the Indian scrolls are usually rendered more naturalistically, they look more ‘plant-like.’
Here is a good example of the variable line weight & other elements that make a scroll look Persian in my eyes: