A Portuguese Partisan

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

the partisan was imported by the Dutch! in Sri lanka (Ceylon)
Ceylon was between 1640 and 1800 of the VOC, It was conquered on Portugal.
During this period there were two types of partisans in use in the Netherlands, one with an openwork effects (ajour),fe mermen and mermaids. (see a rare spontoon from my collection which, to my knowledge no second copy is known, beyond on the paintings) and a closed Version.

best,
Jasper

Brilliant research bringing these fabulous paintings to Forum. This is very interesting! Naturally the obvious link in spear head style and the word to describe it in both European and Sri Lankan form are compelling and indeed I can see how these may be Dutch transmissions...however, it appears less than crystal clear not least in the way spears joined the Sri Lankan arsenal. It would be tempting to suggest that it was brought by the Portuguese since in the vanguard it was this spear that was the most popular weapon and it would have appeared much earlier than the Dutch.

Note, however, that of the twenty thousand soldiers manning Portuguese Forts on Sri Lanka only 1,000 were Portuguese whilst a great many were African. The assegai spear was therefor more popular in these hands.

See https://books.google.com.om/books?id...0lanka&f=false

From the ethnographic viewpoint I also note how music from the African tribes flowed into Sri Lanka.