"regular" VOC sword or ethnograpical object?

Dajak · 12th October 2007, 08:05 PM

Real VOC swords hard to get and very expensive today

Ben

asomotif · 16th October 2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Real VOC swords hard to get and very expensive today

Please read Ben

It is clear that it is a real VOC sword and nobody asked about the price.

The blade has VOC markings (in fact the Chambre of Amsterdam)
The VOC was divided in separate department (kamer) and well known ones are Amsterdam / Rotterdam and Hoorn.

The hilt seems european to me.
maybe it has been used as a hunting sword/side arm ?

Tim Simmons · 16th October 2007, 06:29 PM

The Dutch, Danes, British, French and others all supplied blades exstensively throughout the West African trade coast. To aid thier interests using African conflict and internal politics. I can post more Leopard pics if you need them.

Dajak · 16th October 2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asomotif

Please read Ben

It is clear that it is a real VOC sword and nobody asked about the price.

The blade has VOC markings (in fact the Chambre of Amsterdam)
The VOC was divided in separate department (kamer) and well known ones are Amsterdam / Rotterdam and Hoorn.

The hilt seems european to me.
maybe it has been used as a hunting sword/side arm ?

No way this is an real voc sword .
It is an sword that has making VOC that s the difference
Willem I am telling buying an real old VOC sword is like a win in the lottery .
But I see you take it up for your friend you always bidding on his stuff but never get it .
I have no problem with that.

Ben

Tim Simmons · 16th October 2007, 07:50 PM

If you are dissapointed with this piece, look no further. What a splendid handle!!!

Mytribalworld · 16th October 2007, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

No way this is an real voc sword .
It is an sword that has making VOC that s the difference
Willem I am telling buying an real old VOC sword is like a win in the lottery .
But I see you take it up for your friend you always bidding on his stuff but never get it .
I have no problem with that.

Ben

Sorry Ben but this behavior goes really too far in my opinion.
It seems that you can't act on this forum without getting too personal.
My pencil is sharper than my swords my reading is better than ever course I'm also able to read " between the lines".
If we win on ebay we pay and also Willem has too.That why our feedback is that good.Willem is a besides a good friend of mine also a collector and also a paying customer.Maybe you should learn at least some of that behaviour.
I really was interested in this forum but as long as you are on it I don"t take it for serious.Forumleader will have a PM.

Arjan

David · 16th October 2007, 11:31 PM

Ben, Your last remark seems totally unnecessary and off topic. Let's stick to the sword at hand. What you think about other auctions is unimportant to this thread and personal attacks are against forum policy.

Dajak · 17th October 2007, 04:42 AM

I send you an pm

Ben

Jim McDougall · 17th October 2007, 05:55 AM

This is an interesting sword that seems in line with quite modern weapons seen in West Africa, as has been noted. Some have standard type stirrup hilts of European military form, while this, as has been mentioned seems in line with many European hunting hangers.
I think Tim has a very good suggestion on the zoomorphic hilt representing the leopard. It seems that the leopard totem was significant in secret societies as well as other cultural symbolism as he has mentioned.
The multinational trade that prevailed on the west coast of Africa during the 18th century diffused many weapons into these regions and may account for what appears to be an 18th c. blade here.

I agree that it is extremely rare to find a VOC marked blade, as in my collecting days I tried for many years unsuccessfully to find one! It seems they did turn up occasionally on Sinhalese kastanes (for some reason the year 1768 seems predominant on those examples).

I am curious about the note about the markings on this blade which note the markings apply to the Amsterdam department of VOC. I was not aware that the different cities used different markings.....is there any way to know the differences.....just in case any of us might get lucky enough to find one of these rare blades?

I would really appreciate knowing more on this and hope those of you with keen insight into this seldom discussed topic might comment.

David · 17th October 2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

I send you an pm Ben

...and i sent you one back.

12th October 2007, 08:05 PM	#1
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Real VOC swords hard to get and very expensive today Ben

16th October 2007, 06:29 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,925	The Dutch, Danes, British, French and others all supplied blades exstensively throughout the West African trade coast. To aid thier interests using African conflict and internal politics. I can post more Leopard pics if you need them.

16th October 2007, 07:50 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,925	If you are dissapointed with this piece, look no further. What a splendid handle!!!

16th October 2007, 11:31 PM	#7
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,250	Ben, Your last remark seems totally unnecessary and off topic. Let's stick to the sword at hand. What you think about other auctions is unimportant to this thread and personal attacks are against forum policy.

17th October 2007, 04:42 AM	#8
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	I send you an pm Ben

17th October 2007, 05:55 AM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,676	This is an interesting sword that seems in line with quite modern weapons seen in West Africa, as has been noted. Some have standard type stirrup hilts of European military form, while this, as has been mentioned seems in line with many European hunting hangers. I think Tim has a very good suggestion on the zoomorphic hilt representing the leopard. It seems that the leopard totem was significant in secret societies as well as other cultural symbolism as he has mentioned. The multinational trade that prevailed on the west coast of Africa during the 18th century diffused many weapons into these regions and may account for what appears to be an 18th c. blade here. I agree that it is extremely rare to find a VOC marked blade, as in my collecting days I tried for many years unsuccessfully to find one! It seems they did turn up occasionally on Sinhalese kastanes (for some reason the year 1768 seems predominant on those examples). I am curious about the note about the markings on this blade which note the markings apply to the Amsterdam department of VOC. I was not aware that the different cities used different markings.....is there any way to know the differences.....just in case any of us might get lucky enough to find one of these rare blades? I would really appreciate knowing more on this and hope those of you with keen insight into this seldom discussed topic might comment.