Museum mystery - identify a pattern or item
October 23rd 2008 05:13
I know this is not a "Can you help?" site for Museum people - but I am really stuck! I took on the job of trying to identify the origin of the item pictured below.
Our museum people are fairly sure that it is ceremonial - as it has a pattern on all four sides of the blades. We also believe that the head part was not with the handle originally - as the handle is a pipe and it is attached with a fish or snake skin and some leather thonging. Some dictionaries say it is a Halberd and that may be right, except that most of these have an axe on one side and a hook on the other. I was hoping for help in identifying both it and/or the pattern on the blade. Don't be afraid to be "way out" and think "no that can't be right as it wouldn't be in Australia", because it could well have come here as a family heirloom and be stolen or thrown out ages ago.
It was found by school boys stuck in a tree in Kojonup - a country town in WA about 50 years ago. Their teacher took it off them(!) and has only recently returned it to town. The school boys are also still with us and can verify the story. We are mainly interested in why it may be in Kojonup!
Kojonup is one of the first towns in WA and had a military presence here early on. Some of these soldiers and later some Pensioner Guards had been in the British forces in Indian campaigns. Whether a dress uniform from there had a harberd is one idea or whether they had ancestors in Armed forces is another idea. .
We know that the Swiss guard had a harberd. Some of the early Italian migrants came through Switzerland - another idea.
Someone suggesed a Masonic ceremonial item, but our ex-lodge members do not recognise it as such. However, there may be early items not used in later years.
The pattern that appears on all four sides of the blades could help us find an answer, so if you know something about the pattern, that could help.You can click on the image to see the pattern better. Good luck and thanks!
Mystery Item
Kojonup is one of the first towns in WA and had a military presence here early on. Some of these soldiers and later some Pensioner Guards had been in the British forces in Indian campaigns. Whether a dress uniform from there had a harberd is one idea or whether they had ancestors in Armed forces is another idea. .
Someone suggesed a Masonic ceremonial item, but our ex-lodge members do not recognise it as such. However, there may be early items not used in later years.
The pattern that appears on all four sides of the blades could help us find an answer, so if you know something about the pattern, that could help.You can click on the image to see the pattern better. Good luck and thanks!
Do you recognise this pattern?
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