Iron hilt of talwar and piso pedang
 

Colleagues, there is a problem of how to distinguish Indian iron talwar hilts with bowl-shaped pommels from similar hilts of piso pedang. Besides the size of the bowled-pommel itself there must be differences in manufacturing technology. Unfortunately, I do not have either of such items at hand.
What do you think, can the form of place where the pommel is attached to the grip serve as such a mark: an ellipse in the case of an Indian handle and a circle in the case of an Indonesian one?

I had one but with a Napoleonic blade.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=long+piso

Tim, thanks a lot! I suppose this place has ellipse form like all (?) Indonesian bowl-shaped hilt.

This seems like a gray area. I (seem/hope) to have won this silver hilted piso podang this week:

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Were it not for the laminated Sumatran blade (which is what drew me in), the scabbard style, and the provenance I might have guessed Indian. But given those factors, clearly a piso podang.

A one of a kind as far as I know.
Congrats! I've seen it in the auction.
I guess it is Sumatran, but I don't know to nail down the exact area. I guess somewhere Central Sumatran?
It doesn't look Batak to me....

What was the provenance by the way?

I haven't been able to confirm it (yet?) but the auctioneer's description says:

(Several lots at this auction have that same description.)

It looks like that is this guy.

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Most people assume that podangs are used by some dayak tribes in Borneo (Iban or Dusun tribes), or by the Batak's in Sumatra.
However the podang was used in different parts of Sumatra also, for instance in Djambi.
Djambi is a good possibility, with the description of the auction.

Indeed, that would make sense. Thanks for your input! :)

Here an early 20thC photo of a native of Sarulangun, a regency in Jambi.

With a back scabbard no less! Movies tell me that that guy is a superhuman warrior. :cool:

Very nice sword werecow., and with provenance. Let's all hope you were the successful bidder and can post more pictures. :D

I was! I paid for it already. Now I'm just waiting for them to bill me for the shipping and send it to me. :cool: