Old nyabur with a later handle

[VVV]

Here is an old nyabur (aka parang nabur) blade. It's much heavier and has a thicker back than usual. Even if it has a regular parang ilang handle I wouldn't classify it as a Langgai Tinggang based on the part of the blade between the kundieng (protrusion) and the hilt. Also the handle seems a bit disproportional in lenght. My guess is that the original handle broke, maybe because of it's great weight, and it either was replaced locally or in Europe with a regular one.
Any other ideas?

Michael

[tom hyle]

Integral octagonal bolster/pilaster? Wow; cool sword! My interest in swords is as swords, not as Bornean (etc.) cultural artifacts, so the question as to age/origin of handle is of marginal interest to me, and even less do I have input on it. Cool sword though. Very cool. More usually those I've seen are fairly lightweight. Both the thickness, especially away from the base, and the bolster seem to link it to non-Borneo Indonesian swords.

[Battara]

Nice piece and great ivory carvings!

[tom hyle]

compare to "minasbad"

[Maurice]

I've no idea Michael, but it is a hell of a fine blade!
I agree that the handle looks a bit out of proportions according to the blade.
How does the fixation looks like were the blade is fixed in the handle?
Does it looks like some kind of resin as usual? (probably it's not easy or even not to see cause there is very little space between the bolster and the handle)...

Maurice

[VVV]

Maurice,

I am traveling again at the moment but I will give it a try when back home.

Michael

[tom hyle]

the long bolster does suggest that it was meant to rest within the hand, corresponding to the wrapped part of usual Borneo antler handles. In such use the antler part would be shorter than a usual one. This looks like a usual handle, meant for the whole hand. I think you're right; wrong handle at least in being too long. Interesting.

[VVV]

Yes Tom,

Here is a nyabur with regular handle and proportions as a reference to this discussion.

Michael

[tom hyle]

thanks!

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by VVV

My guess is that the original handle broke, maybe because of it's great weight, and it either was replaced locally or in Europe with a regular one.

Michael,

Better pictures of the fixation of handle to bolster would indeed help.

Maybe the original broke. but unfortunately there are also collectors who change these hilts around because they prefer a certain style/look. Like it was some kind of big keris

Does it have any provenance ?
Checking the actual fixation would help. If you find western stuff as glue or woodfiller, it would surely give the impression of a European change.

Still a very nice and collectible weapon

Best regards,
Willem

[VVV]

Maurice and Willem,

It's very hard to see but with a magnifier and sunlight it does look like it's fixed with resin. But that doesn't exclude that somebody has done it in Europe of course. I know Borneo collectors in both Sweden and Holland who are very skillful in making there own damar etc.
Still my gut feeling is that it has been done locally and a long time ago, probably when the original hilt broke. Another reason for this is that it actually feels quite good to use the parang with this hilt on.

Michael

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by VVV

Maurice and Willem,

Indeed very hard to see but with a magnifier and sunlight it does look like it's fixed with resin. But that doesn't exclude that somebody has done it in Europe of course. I know Borneo collectors in both Sweden and Holland who are very skillful in making there own damar etc.
Still my gut feeling is that it has been done locally and a long time ago, probably when the original hilt broke. Another reason for this is that it actually feels quite good to use the parang with this hilt on.

Michael

Hi Michael,

Indeed very difficult to see cause there is only very little space between the two.
I agree with you about the damarskills of some restorers. Hardly to distinguish from the genuine damar.

At the other hand it will be hard to prove that your composition would not be genuine, only if somebody shows up with recent images of the handle on another blade or visa versa.
At least the handle and blade (even not a match) are both Iban.

A very rare and beautifull sword Michael,

Maurice

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by VVV

Another reason for this is that it actually feels quite good to use the parang with this hilt on.

Yep, nothing like a good two hander.

[VVV]

Originally Posted by asomotif

Yep, nothing like a good two hander.

In this case a one hander