PNG / Geelvinkbaai klewang ?

[asomotif]

I found this interesting Klewang in the house of an Aunt.
They got this from friends where (how classic) the wife was afraid of it.
All info they had was either PNG or Batak.

I would say it has a korwar head = Geelvinkbaai

Any suggestions on age / origin ?
Any other examples among the forumites

[Maurice]

Hi Willem,

I am not so familiar with PNG things, however I like it very much.
Have you been to the Tropenmuseum with their incredible PNG collection?
There they are showing also a few tools and weapons.
At the commentation on those tools and weapons, I read that they didn't use metal. Only wood and bone.
So if it is a PNG handle, I don't think the blade is.
Maybe on latter period they did use metal blades by import?

Maurice

[Sajen]

Hi Willem,

very interesting sword! Would agree that it is from Gelvinckbay area. Because the close to Moluccas it is possible that it is a traded blade. Also the painted handle remembers the swords from there, look at my thread about the swords from Halmahera. So it is maybe not very old but very interesting.

Greetings,

Detlef

[asomotif]

Thanks Maurice for the info on Tropenmuseum , Amsterdam.
It would be nice to take a look there.

Detlef,
I also think that this is a trade blade. It is a very simple blade.
But the combination with the korwar shaped hilt is completely new to me.
Would like to see other examples with this type of carvings.

[Dom]

Originally Posted by asomotif

All info they had was either PNG or Batak.

Hi, for my general culture ...
what means "PNG" ?? other than a pic format

I should not like to die ... stupid

à +

Dom

[potapych]

PNG = Papua New Guinea

as USA = United States of America

(Not to worry, we'll all die without knowing it all... ;-)

Ray

.

[Freddy]

I have this knife handle for quite some time. It's a good thread to show it.

The seller told me it was from the Geelvinckbay, PNG. According to the information I got, it was collected in 1961 in Biak (Dutch PNG) and brought back to Holland by someone in the military.

It's made of some kind of lightweight wood. There's no blade. At the base, there's a small groove in which to fit a blade. I don't know which blade would fit into it as the groove is very shallow.

Total length : 15 cm

[asomotif]

what means "PNG" ?? other than a pic format

Sorry Dom for not explaining this abreviation

For your comfort , I never heard of the format type PNG before.
I am also in great danger of dying stupid

The seller told me it was from the Geelvinckbay, PNG.

Hello Freddy,

Nice hilt there. also a shape I have not seen before in the Geelvinkbaai style.
Look at the details of this drum for comparison.

[Sajen]

Hi Willem,

this pictures will be very interesting for you, I found it by Tribalmania.com and is described as Korwar parang handle.

Best regards,

Detlef

[asomotif]

Detlef,

WOW !
That is like the spitting image.
Thanks for these interesting pictures from Tribalmania.

Due to the financial crisis I did not check there website for a long time

I like the feathers on this one. (and of course tha patina, the fine carving of the face etc. Very nice piece.
Too bad that there is no blade with it.
One wonders what that would have been like ?

Thanks and best regards,
Willem

[Sajen]

Hi Willem,

I remove the pictures because the handle is still for selling. I will write again in the evening because I am at work now.

Best regards,

Detlef

[asomotif]

Hi Detlef,

The handle is for sale, but not in an auction.
So I thought that would not be a problem.

Did the forum staff warn you

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Maurice

Hi Willem,

At the commentation on those tools and weapons, I read that they didn't use metal. Only wood and bone.
Maurice

A little addition of my statements made before.
I was at the Leiden Museum today. There they said the same, but with that difference that there was a very little area in PNG were blacksmiths students were learning to make metal blades before the year 1900. When they graduated, they had to make a knife's blade.
There was an example displayed at the museum, but it was very poorly made, also with a very poor hilt (not he kind you depicted here).
I tried to remember the area but ??? Was it in the north west? (or was it the north south? )
My memory is not what it was before apparently!

by the way, the temporary exhibition "Sumatera tercinta" is much better than the permanent exhibition. Nice provenanced kerisses with a lot of gold, diamonds, ivory and gemstones, and a wonderfull balato and another nias dagger with ivory hilt. Also nice badeks with gold, gemstones, and so on, and so on....very interesting for the bling-bling lovers amongst us!

[asomotif]

north south

Hi Maurice,
Thanks for checking at Leiden.
North South is a bit difficult. that would be more or less in the middle

North West would be good. Geelvinkbaai is in the Northwest