Indonesian sword ID request

JeffS · 26th March 2023, 09:56 AM

I haven't found a parang on the forum with a hilt and guard like this, so putting up for identification. Photos are from the seller (I have purchased it). Blade is 52cm.

milandro · 26th March 2023, 12:55 PM

the seller called it Pedang Portugis

which really seems to be a collective name for anything looking like a sabre or sword with a D guard and reminiscent of a European blade but used in Indonesia from Indonesians but generally based on European blades.

Aside for this particular blade, I found several hits with google but all of them show different blades, so, I can't imagine that the name is one particular type of blade.

JeffS · 26th March 2023, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milandro

the seller called it Pedang Portugis

which really seems to be a collective name for anything looking like a sabre or sword with a D guard and reminiscent of a European blade but used in Indonesia from Indonesians but generally based on European blades.

Aside for this particular blade, I found several hits with google but all of them show different blades, so, I can't imagine that the name is one particular type of blade.

Yes, seems to be a grab bag term, also this is unlikely to be from 16th C! I imagine the D-guard could be colonial influence of Dutch maybe even Spanish or English unless the guard style necessarily indicates Portugese origins. The blade is too widely dispersed in style to give many clues, at least to my eye.

milandro · 26th March 2023, 01:49 PM

I am intrigued, if you have so many questions and possibly some doubts, why did you buy it? It wasn't particularly cheap, I guess, knowing the shop it came from and including shipping to Singapore + possible custom charges this ends up being a pretty penny.

Of course it is your money and who am I to question any purchase.

JeffS · 26th March 2023, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milandro

I am intrigued, if you have so many questions and possibly some doubts, why did you buy it? It wasn't particularly cheap, I guess, knowing the shop it came from and including shipping to Singapore + possible custom charges this ends up being a pretty penny.

Of course it is your money and who am I to question any purchase.

No worries, happy to share my thinkimg. I thought the price was quite reasonable for a dealer (€250) and I have been getting more interested in colonial influenced SE Asian sword styles which, up to a recently acquired parang beladah, I've avoided. Admittedly a little impulsive, but I enjoy collecting pieces that I know little about as it provides a learning opportunity. At this stage of collecting I tend to focus on variety versus specialization. I don't doubt it is an authentic Indonesian sword, just unsure of origin. True it is painful shipping stuff to Singapore, however I have come to accept as another extra cost to living here.

milandro · 26th March 2023, 04:37 PM

nice to hear that you also share buying something an a learning opportunity.

I too do that, and my collector's prowess isn't such that I can call myself an expert specialist when I am rather more a generalist.

I think it was unavoidable that many layers of colonial experiences ( some within Asia itself) left many superimpositions of culture and weapons were no different than anything else.

As for the name, that has to be taken with a large pinch of salt and Portugis may have simple meant " foreign" within this context. I just saw a video of a guy (who has hundreds of videos, and at some point he grabs a Dutch Klewang (could have been a 1811 Hembrug) and calls it a " Portuguese weapon"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdvsVqh2aws

So maybe this is as Portuguis a weapon as Turkeys are from Turkey... not.

Nevertheless the way is the goal!

26th March 2023, 09:56 AM	#1
JeffS Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 345	Indonesian sword ID request I haven't found a parang on the forum with a hilt and guard like this, so putting up for identification. Photos are from the seller (I have purchased it). Blade is 52cm. Attached Images

26th March 2023, 12:55 PM	#2
milandro Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Netherlands Posts: 475	the seller called it Pedang Portugis which really seems to be a collective name for anything looking like a sabre or sword with a D guard and reminiscent of a European blade but used in Indonesia from Indonesians but generally based on European blades. Aside for this particular blade, I found several hits with google but all of them show different blades, so, I can't imagine that the name is one particular type of blade.

26th March 2023, 01:49 PM	#4
milandro Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Netherlands Posts: 475	I am intrigued, if you have so many questions and possibly some doubts, why did you buy it? It wasn't particularly cheap, I guess, knowing the shop it came from and including shipping to Singapore + possible custom charges this ends up being a pretty penny. Of course it is your money and who am I to question any purchase.

26th March 2023, 04:37 PM	#6
milandro Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Netherlands Posts: 475	nice to hear that you also share buying something an a learning opportunity. I too do that, and my collector's prowess isn't such that I can call myself an expert specialist when I am rather more a generalist. I think it was unavoidable that many layers of colonial experiences ( some within Asia itself) left many superimpositions of culture and weapons were no different than anything else. As for the name, that has to be taken with a large pinch of salt and Portugis may have simple meant " foreign" within this context. I just saw a video of a guy (who has hundreds of videos, and at some point he grabs a Dutch Klewang (could have been a 1811 Hembrug) and calls it a " Portuguese weapon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdvsVqh2aws So maybe this is as Portuguis a weapon as Turkeys are from Turkey... not. Nevertheless the way is the goal!