FINE SWORD, INDONESIA OR MALAYSIAN ?

Battara · 1st October 2010, 01:49 AM

I LOVE IT! Love the repousse on the gold. I would bet that the scabbard is a replacement. I agree with the Sumatra attribution, definitely Indonesian.

Question: would this be considered a sultan's piece?

Ron Anderson · 1st October 2010, 02:39 AM

Hi Vandoo

It's obviously a klewang.

I would say it could be Lombok Island, as well as Sumara.

Is the handle horn? If so, more likely Lombok, where they really do fantastic carving on horn.

I have a collection of these carvings. Will show soon.

They seem to really prefer horn there on their klewangs, whereas elsewhere (Sumatra) it is more likely to be wood. Also, these very nice ones were usually worn as court swords in the Lombok royal court. Though I've not seen a gold hilt before, I have seen this kind of quality with silver hilts (all from Lombok Island).

Battara · 1st October 2010, 03:50 AM

Ron, do you think the original scabbard would have been wood covered with gold or silver? If so plain or repoussed?

I guess I am asking what the scabbard would look like?

VANDOO · 1st October 2010, 04:41 AM

THE HILT IS WOOD NO IDEA OF WHAT KIND, THE SCABBARD DOES SEEM A BIT PLAIN TO ME BUT AS I DIDN'T WIN IT I CAN'T INVESTIGATE FURTHER.

1st October 2010, 01:49 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	I LOVE IT! Love the repousse on the gold. I would bet that the scabbard is a replacement. I agree with the Sumatra attribution, definitely Indonesian. Question: would this be considered a sultan's piece?

1st October 2010, 02:39 AM	#2
Ron Anderson Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 228	Hi Vandoo It's obviously a klewang. I would say it could be Lombok Island, as well as Sumara. Is the handle horn? If so, more likely Lombok, where they really do fantastic carving on horn. I have a collection of these carvings. Will show soon. They seem to really prefer horn there on their klewangs, whereas elsewhere (Sumatra) it is more likely to be wood. Also, these very nice ones were usually worn as court swords in the Lombok royal court. Though I've not seen a gold hilt before, I have seen this kind of quality with silver hilts (all from Lombok Island).

1st October 2010, 03:50 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Ron, do you think the original scabbard would have been wood covered with gold or silver? If so plain or repoussed? I guess I am asking what the scabbard would look like?

1st October 2010, 04:41 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE HILT IS WOOD NO IDEA OF WHAT KIND, THE SCABBARD DOES SEEM A BIT PLAIN TO ME BUT AS I DIDN'T WIN IT I CAN'T INVESTIGATE FURTHER.