A Piso Podang?...or a Tulwar???
 

Here is one of the most unique swords of its type that I have encountered. The sword, or long dagger, is clearly cut down from a larger (European??) blade. The piece is 20.5 in. overall, with a 15in. blade. The hilt is silver plated in what could be an early S. Indian style, or a typical piso podang hilt. the scabbard is en suite with white metal locket and chape, both enameled. The enameling reminds me of work I have seen on Moroccan nimchas in style and quality. The scabbard is wrapped in tooled, grained leather, with 3 gold embossed stars.

So.....Indian???....Indonesian???....or somewhere else???

I look forward to your comments and opinions.

Sure looks like a Sumatran/Algerian fusion piece .
Is the hilt plated ?
A result of trade within Dar al Islam ?

Does, indeed, look plated. Good eye!

The blade cross section reminds me of :

What a beuty! I only wish it was a full length. The hilt is a piso podang hilt.

Very interesting piece Charles.
Is this part on an inscription on the lip of the chape?

You really do have a great eye Rick!!!! This seems very much to be a 'fusion' item and keenly illustrates the kinds of hybridization that evolved in the trade spheres.
The mounts on the scabbard remind me of the styles used on the sa'ifs produced in Hyderabad for the Arab trade, and that often carried if course into the East Africa/Red Sea spheres which in turn entered the caravan routes of North Africa/Meditteranean routes.

The enameling is characteristic in process of Mughal Northern India, but was of course used in varying degree elsewhere in India into the Deccan. The flueret style quillon terminals are typically associated with the Deccani regional forms on hilts but extend into N.India as well. This has always been an interesting note on these piso podang hilts in thier similarity to these Indian hilts (Deccani and the Afghani paluouar) with pommel cups rather than discs.

Good call on the blade as well, and the cross section does seem very much like these trade blades which occur on kaskaras. Again, the cross diffusion of these blades has presented many anomalies with North African type blades mounted with Indo-Persian hilts.

It seems that these kinds of weapons with features and elements of varying regions would most certainly have been found throughout trade centers in the Red Sea areas during the British condominium in Egypt/Sudan and the Aden Protectorate. Weapons from Sumatra, India, Central Asia and the Middle East all entered these trade centers and from there into caravan networks.

I think Gene may be onto something as well, those seemingly strategic images on the chape lip..are they characters?

A most colorful representation of trade diffusion...and beautiful piece!

Thank you for posting Charles,

Jim

Agree with the others, a beautiful piece and thank you for sharing with us.

Regards,

Detlef

This could conceivably been carried instead of a Telek in a wealthy native's regalia ? :shrug: :confused:

Agree about the enamel work motifs and colors Charles .

"This has always been an interesting note on these piso podang hilts in thier similarity to these Indian hilts (Deccani and the Afghani paluouar) with pommel cups rather than discs."

Jim, the Hulu Meu Apet of the Achenese sabre also has a strong indian influence; interesting to see this influence in disparate cultural groups from the same island .

These are the only two Sumatran hilt forms I know of that show such influence . :)

I couldn't agree more. This piece is likely the ultimate example of trade throughout the Islamic world.