Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 14th October 2008, 06:25 PM   #1
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,857
Default Sumbawa Knife

Here is a nice example of a dress knife form Sumbawa. A similar example can be seen in Zonneveld's Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago on page 74, plate 283.

The silver scabbard on this one is much akin to Sumbawa scabbards seen on dressier swords.
Attached Images
   
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th October 2008, 10:51 PM   #2
RSWORD
Member
 
RSWORD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 1,084
Default

That is a most unusual hilt. I haven't seen anything similar before. Could it be phallic or abstract?
RSWORD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th October 2008, 07:34 AM   #3
VVV
Member
 
VVV's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,637
Default

It looks like the silver may have been done on either southern Sulawesi or maybe by some local Bugis on this, otherwise Sumbawa, knife?
I have heard that those knives are harvesting knives. Maybe ceremonial like when communicating with the semangat (life-essence, collective soul, local guardian spirit) of the local rice field before harvesting.

Michael

PS The ivory is usually marine/whale on these Sumbawa knives.
VVV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th October 2008, 01:34 AM   #4
asomotif
Member
 
asomotif's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,225
Default

Phallic ? / maybe sperm whale

But seriously, a very nice knife but the hilt seems indeed pretty phallic for an indonesian weapon. could that be hindu influence ?
asomotif is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th October 2008, 03:25 AM   #5
Rick
Vikingsword Staff
 
Rick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,293
Wink

Apparently they are not unknown in the area .
http://www.geocities.com/keris4u/han...gam_tandok.htm
Rick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th October 2008, 12:22 PM   #6
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,346
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick
Apparently they are not unknown in the area .
http://www.geocities.com/keris4u/han...gam_tandok.htm
I had some nice comments on this one, but I think it is better to keep the comments for myself and not write it down in our forum.

Last edited by Maurice; 18th October 2008 at 01:09 PM.
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:06 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.