This is an interesting and puzzling image of Hanuman. It's a ritual bronze knife from the Angkor period (12th century) and on the handle there's a figure of Hanuman who is biting into the head of what appears to be a deer. The knife is, as far as I know, completely unique. It was presumably used for ritual purposes and on the underside, beneath the figures, there's a seal that may relate to the temple in which it was used, or possibly to the name of a donor. It's unusual too because the blades on these knifes were more frequently made of iron attached to a bronze handle and many of them have disappeared through corrosion.

I can't find any reference in the Ramayana to any specific episode that this image is referring to. Hindu scholars disagree as to whether any meat eating ever occurs in the story. What we do know is that Hanuman had voracious appetites, for food as well as for sex; he did for instance try to eat the sun thinking it was a ripe mango! It's probably this appetite, along with his bravery, his wit and his loyalty that made him such a popular folk hero.

But if Nishedha or anyone else here knows of anything more specific that would explain this little scene, I'd love to know about it.

All the best,

Will