Shaver Cool -- redux

[Ian]

David,

You are probably right, although there is usually a depiction of a schooner on these blades, which encourages one to think of the ship by that name and assign some nautical significance to the sword. None of this is important, of course, if these are simply locally made Indonesian swords created for a nostalgic Dutch market more than a century after the VOC ceased to exist.

[Jim McDougall]

A great book I've had for a long time is "Batavia's Graveyard" Mike Dash, 2001, about the wreck of one of the VOC fleet flagships wrecked of the coast of Australia 4 June 1629 near an island now known as 'Beacon Island'.

Its an incredible true story of mutiny, survival, and all manner of drama that seems to have been an important event in Dutch, and Australian history.

I think in the context of being shown in this manner on the blade, it would be to the place as suggested, not to the ship.

[David]

Originally Posted by Ian

David,

You are probably right, although there is usually a depiction of a schooner on these blades, which encourages one to think of the ship by that name and assign some nautical significance to the sword. None of this is important, of course, if these are simply locally made Indonesian swords created for a nostalgic Dutch market more than a century after the VOC ceased to exist.

I dunno. The inscriptions on these swords attempt to make a fake VOC connection. The first permanent Dutch trading post was established in 1603 in Banten, West Java, Indonesia. Today this area is Batavia, Indonesia.
Java is an island so sailing ships kinda go with the territory. I see nothing particularly incongruent here.
BTW, if you google "Cooler Shaver Batavia Sword" right now you can find at least 6 examples of these swords, all of varying quality, though none of particularly good quality.

[kai]

Hello David,

The first permanent Dutch trading post was established in 1603 in Banten, West Java, Indonesia. Today this area is Batavia, Indonesia.

Just a minor correction: Modern Jakarta developed from Batavia; Banten is a different, ancient settlement which is situated towards the West...
w
Regards,
Kai

[David]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello David,


Just a minor correction: Modern Jakarta developed from Batavia; Banten is a different, ancient settlement why is situated towards the West...

Regards,
Kai

I believe that the sentence i copy & pasted was talking about the Residency of Batavia, which includes a much larger area than just where modern Jakarta is today.

"Batavia was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia can refer to the city proper or its suburbs and hinterland, the Ommelanden, which included the much larger area of the Residency of Batavia in the present-day Indonesian provinces of Jakarta, Banten and West Java."