Boer,Paul Kruger's sword,what is it?

[silverclaws]

Greetings to you all,I am new here and am here because of a member of another forum suggested I may find here of interest.I am researching a sword for a friend,a sword which I know came from descendants of Boer,Paul Kruger,a soldier in the first Boer war and later the President of the Transvaal in 1880.We have been lead to believe the sword is not African in origin,but comes from The far east.We are interested in knowing more about it,what it is and where it comes from.An interesting point would be how it became to be part of Paul Kruger's belongings and was it used by him,but I suppose that is open to speculation


















The sword is convex on one side and slightly concave on the other side and has one cutting edge only,it is heavily rusted due to having been stored damp in a cellar.There is also engraving down both sides of the blade and chiselled ornamentation to the dull edge near the blade tip and brass flush stud ornamentation down one side only.

The handle appears to have stylised dragon creatures carved possibly out of ivory.

The Scabbard is a wooden clamshell design where the blade will only fit it one way.The scabbard also contains a thin turned stick with a blade on the end.The mounting runs vertically down the scabbard,with a brass or bronze S- hook on the lower end(back mounted sword?)

My friend also wishes to know how this blade may be cleaned up,so as to not damage any of the engraved blade ornamentation,which appears to be engraved by a punch.

Something else that would interest us,is the handle,there are two hollows,one in the top and one at the side,suggesting something may have been in these hollows/holes,from weapons of the area and time,what is likely to have been there?