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#1 |
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Despite being called Persian, I maintain that it is a Piso Podang from Sumatra.The handle is very strange: it looks almost like Piso Padang but the eaglehead pommel and the absense of a cavity are intriguing.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1 Any thoughts? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Ummmm
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#3 |
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Ariel , did you pick the wrong link ?
![]() That's no Piso podang ......... Here's an unusual variant . |
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#4 |
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Mea culpa.
Rick, your pic is correct. Here is the correct link. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1 |
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#5 |
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I thought that might have been the one that you meant ( I was unaware the auction had ended ) .
A Brother sword hilt in white brass ? This makes the third example of this style of piso hilt that I have seen . The blades always seem to vary and I can see this blade is quite pitted . |
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#6 |
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Well, we might have found a new pattern.
Any ideas about it's origin and the meaning for the difference? The cavity is supposed to have ritual significance; why isn't it present here? What about the Eagle? Isn't it one of the avatars of Vishnu? Piso Podang came to Sumatra from India (see Elgood's book). |
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#7 |
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Guys:
Might this not be a depiction of garuda? Ian. |
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#8 |
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Absolutely no idea about the hilt symbolism .
Could be Garuda ....... < shrugs > One of our members once told me that it resembles an indo military sword ; but There is no consistency in the blades ; mine has a finely forged native blade with very good temper and a hardened edge . I got mine from a Canadian Seller on Ebay years ago . Until we know more I think this hilt form will remain a mystery . |
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#9 |
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Depiction of garuda on the Indonesian Coat of Arms.
Ian. |
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#10 |
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One would think that if this is an Indo military sword there would be many examples around .
Also , why the Piso/Batak type quillons when they are Sumatran and many are Christian etc. ? Mercenaries ? A Batak regiment ? ![]() |
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#11 |
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Definitely a piso podang. I saw one at the Las Vegas show that was very similar.
I think Ian's point about the garuda is a very good one. |
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#12 |
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I think Garuda, too. Here's another pretty common example that I've seen referred to as a Garuda hilt.
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#13 |
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What puzzles me about this piso hilt form (let's accept that it is garuda) is that there are no other figural types of piso hilts that I know of .
I wonder ; was this hilt form supplied to a certain group of Batak ; possibly Mercs for the government ? If this was the case I would expect uniformity of blades and hilt materials . ![]() |
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#14 |
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And what about the absent "inverted cup" cavity?
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#15 |
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Indonesian independence was proclaimed on August 17, 1945. Departure from the traditional cup hilt for a more nationalistic depiction of garuda would seem to imply a relatively recent change (perhaps early to mid-20th C.). Would that fit the age of these pieces?
Ian. |
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#16 |
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I would think if that were the case we would be seeing more of these swords .
The newer ones should be more common IMO . The example Ariel shows seems to be quite pitted and has a manufactured blade ; it would surprise me to see a tribe or portion thereof go ga ga over independence to the point of rehilting their traditional swords . ![]() One wonders how thrilled the Sumatran populace as a whole is at being ruled from Jawa anyway . |
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