Philippine Sword?

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Thank you so much Ian! So I guess this is quite an anomaly as suggested by the absence of response.

I don't see any European but an Indian face. Hinduism was also present in Java. The question for me is which god is it?

[David R]

Originally Posted by Kubur

I don't see any European but an Indian face. Hinduism was also present in Java. The question for me is which god is it?

Or a lion?

[Kubur]

Very much like a lion on the scabbard
or maybe Surya the Indian god of the sun...

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you guys!! I am thinking too, something in the Hindu realm.

[Ian]

Interesting idea that this depiction is related to Hinduism. I agree that the treatment of the eyes suggests Hindu art, however a half beard and mustache is uncommon among Hindus (I don't recall seeing a half beard in Hindu art work before--usually just a mustache or a full beard and mustache). I have blown up Jim's picture of the pommel to get a clearer image of the face. It is a human image (not a lion--the ears offer a definitive identification). Suraya, the Indian God of the Sun, is only depicted with a large mustache, never a beard, so probably not related to this God.


Recent Census Data from Indonesia indicate that Hindus make up about 1.74% of the total population.


.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Ian

I agree that the treatment of the eyes suggests Hindu art, however a half beard and mustache is uncommon among Hindus
.

If you google "Indian god with beard", it is the response that you will get.
You have Indian god with beard and look also at the avatars.
I vote for Narasimha (seems to be a badass)

Originally Posted by Ian

Recent Census Data from Indonesia indicate that Hindus make up about 1.74% of the total population.
.

Do you have the statistics for the late 19th c.?

I agree that the guard and the scabbard tip look European ( English or Dutch)

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you very much again guys, I really appreciate all these insights and suggestions. Again, I am far out of my element here, but am learning a great deal and while continuing my own research somewhat, I had a suggestion given to me privately.

That is this may have to do with possibly with Kala Bhairava, the destructive form of Shiva in Hindu deities. In parts of Java, there are followers of the Hindu Faith with elements of Buddhism as well, where Shiva is worshipped also,=.

Here I would recognize that this weapon has distinct European features, the shape of the hilt, the alternating quillon terminals and the chape surround on the scabbard. These are of the character of many European hangers of 17th into 18th c.

The idea of the face being European as well is intriguing of course with these considered, but the only faces I can think of is the 17th c, 'mortuary' hilt sword, but I am inclined to think of Dutch influence more in Java.

These are just thoughts as I continue to research and wonder what you guys think.

[David]

Originally Posted by Ian

Recent Census Data from Indonesia indicate that Hindus make up about 1.74% of the total population.

Indonesian is indeed mostly Muslim. However Bali has an 86% Hindu population. About 15% of the population of Lombok also identifies as Hindu. So the majority religious make-up of Indonesia as a whole is not particularly significant if this pedang lurus is from Bali or even Lombok. What's more, Hinduism left a significant mark on Indonesia as a whole up through the Mojopahit era and those influences remain throughout regardless of Islam being the major religion in the region today. Keep in mind that the keris itself was a dagger of Hindu Jawa that was embraced by the Islam after the fall of the Mojopahit empire. There are aspects of the keris that hold inherent Hindu symbolism that was kept in place despite the advent of Islam. And one can find elements of dress that incorporate figurative representation, in mostly Islamic areas such as Madura well after Islam became the dominate religion there.
Further, what is usual for Hinduism in India does not necessarily apply to Hinduism in Indonesia. The god names and the symbols that represent them are often not the same. So we cannot really compare images of Hindu gods on Indian weapons and expect them to relate to weapons found in Indonesia that bear Hindu references.
These faces do not appear to me to be the Hindu sun god Surya. Dewa Surya is indeed venerated in Bali, but images i have seen of him do not include any facial hair (though we should note that i do not believe the face on the sheath has any facial hair).
This pedang does have some unusual features for a Javanese pedang lurus. The S-shaped cross guard is not a feature you generally see on pedangs from Jawa. This could be some sort of hybrid piece. It could indeed have some European influences. But i am not convinced as a whole that it is from Jawa, though the blade might be. Or it may well be Balinese or from Lombok. It certainly is interesting.

[Edster]

Why does the face have to be some sort of Symbolism? Why can't it just be Art? Images of Javanese facial masks are cultural, look similar, but without the ear. Once the face was made on the sword pommel, the scabbard maker just followed suit, but sans ear.

Just a thought.
Ed