Spear / lance origin ?

danny1976 · 6th February 2012, 12:21 AM

Hi there ,

Today I was lucky to pick up this lance .
It was brought from Indonesia to Holland in 1937.

It has a nice silver collar and silver band all around down the shaft , I just cleaned some of it , it is a hell of a job

Also a nice interesting stamp/mark at the point !
Is there somebody who knows what it is, and what could be the origin of this one? , imo it is from Sumatra .

On the end there is a copper end cap , and it is a pity the last 30 cm of silver band is missing.

Total length is 2.55 m

Regards,

Danny

Sajen · 6th February 2012, 12:54 AM

Hi Danny,

beautiful spear. Sumatra is also my guess and Batak seems possible. just before I go through Zonneveld and read about a Lembing Raja (lembing = spear, raja = king), look page 82. Also when it look not complete identic is there a lot of parity.

Greets,

Detlef

Maurice · 6th February 2012, 09:37 AM

Hi Danny,

That is a very good looking lance!!!

I've seen a similar blade in the provenanced Borneo collection of Moller, also with a nice silver sleeve. But then, I never have seen such silverwork on a Borneo lance shaft like yours.....
A lembing Radja from the Bataks looks also different like yours...
Also I never have seen an Aceh lance with this kind of silverwork on the shaft. Aceh lance blades are in general more smoothly forged, and not with that thick pamor on it (if we can call it pamor?)

I wonder if somebody could tell us more about the mark on the blade tip?

But with those silverwork on the shaft, very unexpected.......I incline and will vote for South-Celebes...

Rg,
Maurice

asomotif · 6th February 2012, 01:04 PM

Nice one. Danny has got a sixt sense for these pieces.

The lance head itself makes me say Java.
The silver collar is found allover the archipelago and beyond.
But the silver strip around the shaft is new to me and I can not place it in a certain area.

It was offered as being from Bali, was there any info from the seller that points to that origin ?

Silverwrapping on the bottom of the shaft can be restored, but at the present silver prices it would propably double or triple the costprice

best regards,
Willem

danny1976 · 6th February 2012, 01:47 PM

Hi Guys ,

Thanks !!

It is still a puzzle to find out what is the origin

Like Willem said the point could be a Jawa tombak , still raises the question what about the mark ?

The silver collar type we can see indeed often on Sumatra spears , but Maurice why you ques is in the direction of South Sulawesi ?

Detlef , I did look on page 82 to the lembing radja . I think it is not a Batak spear .

The silver strip makes it confusing , i will check out the RMV database later.
Maybe the patterns on the collar will give the answer ?

Yes the seller thought it was from Bali , but that was only the story the heard from their uncle .

regards,

danny

danny1976 · 6th February 2012, 02:01 PM

RMV Database number 135-1 .

look likes it have the same silver strips , the describe it as South Sulawesi .

6th February 2012, 12:21 AM	#1
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	Spear / lance origin ? Hi there , Today I was lucky to pick up this lance . It was brought from Indonesia to Holland in 1937. It has a nice silver collar and silver band all around down the shaft , I just cleaned some of it , it is a hell of a job Also a nice interesting stamp/mark at the point ! Is there somebody who knows what it is, and what could be the origin of this one? , imo it is from Sumatra . On the end there is a copper end cap , and it is a pity the last 30 cm of silver band is missing. Total length is 2.55 m Regards, Danny Attached Images

6th February 2012, 09:37 AM	#3
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,346	Hi Danny, That is a very good looking lance!!! I've seen a similar blade in the provenanced Borneo collection of Moller, also with a nice silver sleeve. But then, I never have seen such silverwork on a Borneo lance shaft like yours..... A lembing Radja from the Bataks looks also different like yours... Also I never have seen an Aceh lance with this kind of silverwork on the shaft. Aceh lance blades are in general more smoothly forged, and not with that thick pamor on it (if we can call it pamor?) I wonder if somebody could tell us more about the mark on the blade tip? But with those silverwork on the shaft, very unexpected.......I incline and will vote for South-Celebes... Rg, Maurice Last edited by Maurice; 6th February 2012 at 10:31 AM.

6th February 2012, 12:54 AM	#2
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,781	Hi Danny, beautiful spear. Sumatra is also my guess and Batak seems possible. just before I go through Zonneveld and read about a Lembing Raja (lembing = spear, raja = king), look page 82. Also when it look not complete identic is there a lot of parity. Greets, Detlef

6th February 2012, 01:04 PM	#4
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	Nice one. Danny has got a sixt sense for these pieces. The lance head itself makes me say Java. The silver collar is found allover the archipelago and beyond. But the silver strip around the shaft is new to me and I can not place it in a certain area. It was offered as being from Bali, was there any info from the seller that points to that origin ? Silverwrapping on the bottom of the shaft can be restored, but at the present silver prices it would propably double or triple the costprice best regards, Willem

6th February 2012, 01:47 PM	#5
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	Hi Guys , Thanks !! It is still a puzzle to find out what is the origin Like Willem said the point could be a Jawa tombak , still raises the question what about the mark ? The silver collar type we can see indeed often on Sumatra spears , but Maurice why you ques is in the direction of South Sulawesi ? Detlef , I did look on page 82 to the lembing radja . I think it is not a Batak spear . The silver strip makes it confusing , i will check out the RMV database later. Maybe the patterns on the collar will give the answer ? Yes the seller thought it was from Bali , but that was only the story the heard from their uncle . regards, danny

6th February 2012, 02:01 PM	#6
danny1976 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Holland Posts: 245	RMV Database number 135-1 . look likes it have the same silver strips , the describe it as South Sulawesi .