![]() |
![]() |
#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
|
![]()
This a very nice, almost certainly ceremonial, klewang Palembang(Parang Betino???) from Sumatra.
The hilt is ivory with a worked gold ferrule. The blade is beautifully forged, quite heavy, showing a laminated pattern, a reinforced (Moro shandigan style) edge, and finely chiseled bolster. The scabbard is new. Dimensions: 25in. overall, with a 18.5in. blade, and 2.5in. at its widest point. Last edited by CharlesS; 24th January 2014 at 06:25 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,637
|
![]()
Nice shopping!
Those klewang are quite rare and to find one with ivory is extremely rare. Michael |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,725
|
![]()
Really nice, Charles. Thank you for sharing.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
|
![]()
Uncle Charles, when you through this away, please call me - remember I'm a trash collector...
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 327
|
![]()
Charles: Fantastic klewang with the best ivory handle of this type that I have seen. Also a really nice laminated blade. The whole piece just can't get any better than that.........Dave.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,252
|
![]()
Hello Charles,
A really neat Parang Betino! AvZ shows one example from Willem van der Post's collection in the klewang overview (Fig. 263). A quite distinctive blade type that resembles the amanremu which may be its northern cousin; the usually present bolster seems pretty unique though. I agree this is a status piece - still fully functional though. The business examples I've seen come with horn hilts of the same style. The top end examples like in this thread appear to be status pieces for ceremonial use only. I do wonder why there are apparently not that many surviving examples and, especially, why a quite considerable proportion seem to be status pieces. Regards, Kai |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
|
![]()
Thanks for the comments guys.
Michael...you have a done a great deal on research on correct nomenclature for Indonesian swords. Do you agree with the term "parang betino" here? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,637
|
![]()
The only source for the term parang betino I know of is the book Royal Gifts from Indonesia, p. 175.
However, there it is also claimed that it comes from West Java, which is probably wrong. Of course, the sword in the book could have been collected in West Java but then the local Sundandese term for a sword from Palembang would not be the best to use in general. Based on this I prefer not to use the term parang betino myself. Michael |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
|
![]() Quote:
Kai, This may look fully functional, but practically it is not. The heavy blade combined with the narrow hilt of ivory with a weak gold bolster could not take many serious blows. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
|
![]() Quote:
Thanks Michael. I had wondered about this since I have never seen that term used outside this forum. I do not have that book. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,222
|
![]()
Hello Charles,
An extremely nice presentation piece. Checking the forum, I could only find 2 examples. both high end with ivory hilts. Are there other examples in forumite collections ? I found this example in the collection of the RMV Leiden. Nr. 360-5322 / length 34 cms, materials, iron, wood, brass. Poor picture unfortunately. Best regards, Willem |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 | |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
|
![]() Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mother North
Posts: 189
|
![]()
Damn Charles, it's like you shop on a different PLANET from me!
![]() Cheers, Thor |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|