Iban Piso Podang (big images)

[Dinggat]

Here it is (Original Thread):



length: ~75 cm / 30"


details of hilt:



hollow pommel:

[Dinggat]

details of blade:

smith signature ("RTD W D CAS TL" or so, and an arrow shape):



double line engraving, beginning...:


...and ending:


the ends of the double line engraving are marked by the Swiss pocket knifes:


back of blade (7mm / 0.28"):

[Dinggat]

Details of scabbard:









Lower third is held together by rotan strings. I presume there once was a chape of the tin (?), but it went missing and some creative Iban fixed it with rotan.

[asomotif]

Nice one. The real thing !

Here are some details of my example.

[Rick]

A question; what makes this Iban ?
The scabbard decoration ?
Is this sword not transplanted Batak ??

[Dinggat]

Hello Rick,
this weapon was not made by the Iban, but rather owned by the Iban. Maybe the title is a bit mistakable.

[Dinggat]

asomotif: Your one looks almost exactly like mine! :eek Is it also from Borneo?

Do you know how the blade is fixed in the hilt? The blade of mine is very loose, but I can't pull it out completely (I only tried with slight force, don't want to break anything). Would it be wise to try to remove all the rust on my blade? Or should I just keep on oiling it?

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Dinggat

Hello Rick,
this weapon was not made by the Iban, but rather owned by the Iban. Maybe the title is a bit mistakable.

Thanks Dinggat , but what makes this particular example Iban ?
Where it was collected ?
The scabbard style or the repousse style ?

What about this sword makes it an Iban example ?

[asomotif]

Thanks Dinggat , but what makes this particular example Iban ?
Where it was collected ?
The scabbard style or the repousse style ?

What about this sword makes it an Iban example ?

Hello Rick,

Check out the original thread. The link is at the start of this thread.
His mother is living in Sarawak and this is a family heirloom.
That definately makes it Iban.

But in general it is often the fittings on the scabbard that make it Iban.
This type of hilt is indeed seen on batak and Iban podangs , but ofcourse the hilt is not indiginous to neither of them
The blades are most of the times imported, often from Europe.

Further some say that the batak hilt have a cup that is more open , and the
Iban hilts have a cup that is more closed. But IMHO opinion one can not determin them on basis of the cup alone.

All Iban examples that I have seen have brass hilts.
Batak pieces can also have iron hilts or other metal hilts (nickel etc)

[Rick]

My example has an eagle head and no langets .
I wonder ..........

No scabbard but a nice non Euro blade identical to fig.433 pg. 110 in vZ's book .
I have only seen one other example of this hilt and it was broken and repaired .

[asomotif]

My example has an eagle head and no langets

Hmmm... pictures please


Here is another thread with some nice examples :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=iban+podang

asomotif: Your one looks almost exactly like mine! :eek Is it also from Borneo?

I bought it here in the Netherlands from a collector who participated in Van Zonnevelds book, and he sold it as being from Borneo.
And that is also my opinion, and many others I think based on the charateristics I mentioned before.

[Rick]

here it is .

[asomotif]

Wow !

That is weird. Do you have picture of the complete weapon.

Could it be made after Indonesia became a republik and the eagle / Garuda becam a symbol for the whole republik ?

[Rick]

I think if it was a republik sword we would encounter them more often .
No full pic right now but the blade is the same as the example I referenced in vZ .
If you do a forum search for piso podang you might see a full pic of it .

[VVV]

As this sword didn't originate among the Bataks, but in India, and as it is found independently, without any Batak connection, in Peninsular Malaysia as well as Brunei, Sarawak and Sabah I think it's incorrect to label it a Piso Podang (the Portugese influenced Batak term).
As far as I have read from different sources the local Borneo name is Pedang.
The problem nowadays however is that among the tourist shops in Kuching Sumatran keris and swords are imported and sold as souvenirs also in Sarawak.
And I haven't been able to find a "for sure indicator" on the plain hilted, closed cup, versions of this sword to know if it was made in Malaysia, Brunei, Sumatra or Sarawak/Sabah. So I assume the provenance, and some local add-ons like this hair, is all we can make conclusions from?

Michael

[asomotif]

As this sword didn't originate among the Bataks, but in India, and as it is found independently, without any Batak connection, in Peninsular Malaysia as well as Brunei, Sarawak and Sabah I think it's incorrect to label it a Piso Podang (the Portugese influenced Batak term).

Michael,
I already hoped that you would step in. as you often have the more correct background info

Nice example Michael you have there.
Interesting is that the scabbard has no metal fittings.
Often to me that is one of the indicators for Borneo origins.

The problem nowadays however is that among the tourist shops in Kuching Sumatran keris and swords are imported and sold as souvenirs also in Sarawak.

Yes, this development is really killing for collectors and for correct details.
A lot of the vendors appear to be from chinese origin, selling "original borneo antiques".

I encountered the same on Zanzibar, some 10 years ago.
Indian salesmen would sell woodcarvings, masks an statues from literally all over Africa in their shop on Zanzibar and sell them as "Zanzibar" antiques.
While in fact original items from Zanzibar where hard to find.

Best regards,
Willem

[VVV]

Willem,

Yes, I also thought that the metal fittings could be a Borneo indicator.
And then I saw one from Sumatra with resembling fittings...
But I agree that it's a common trait even if it's not a certain indicator.
Like the closed vs open cup pommel.

Michael

[Dinggat]

I am sorry to disrupt your discussion (which I enjoyed to read), but my question about the rust on the blade is still unanswered.

The blade was heavily corroded when I received it, but I want to preserve it in the best way I can. Right now I just regularly put a bit oil on it, but never dared to remove the rust. Would that even be necessary? If yes, what would the proper way be?

Or should I start a new thread on that matter?

[VVV]

I use soft steel wool and oil and then clean and check step by step how much I want to remove to still keep the patina.
If it's deep pitted you could use pointy chicken bones to scrape away the rust.
It's all a matter of individual taste how much rust to remove.

Good luck!

Michael

[Dinggat]

Thanks Michael, I will do my best not to destroy the blade.