Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

[Jim McDougall]

Gustav, thank you so much for your thorough and edifying clarifications on these previous entries by myself and Ibrahiim. I am not sure where we fell off course with thinking this intriguing sword was somehow obtained in the Philippines, but clearly that assumption is incorrect as you have gratefully noted that the Hasekura mission indeed was present in Madrid. I admit I relied unfortunately on memory from research some time ago and this I fear may have given traction to that assumption. Thank you so much for this correction. It is so important of course to reconfirm and verify facts and evidence, and I failed to do that.

Can you detail the article by Kazuhiro so that I may obtain a copy? clearly I need to reread it

I think the reference to the provenance referred to the questions surrounding the peculiar nature of the elements of this example as opposed to more familiar blades and other features of kasthane, that is, toward where the sword may have been produced. One of the key points in examining this sword was originally to establish a terminus ante quem for the lionhead kasthane hilt . Any impunity toward the Sendai Museum was not intended and apologies for that perception.

I would also respond to my post terming the 'recap' on the Hasekura example, and explain that I meant this as a reference to reviewing the material previously posted . While I admit that I often extend ideas and observations which are admittedly sometimes fanciful in degree or by analogous description, and I often respond to other posts which are in kind, I would respectfully disagree that my efforts are any kind of indecent joke, and aside from that unfortunate remark, I very much appreciate your beautifully written and extremely helpful post.

Now, returning to some of the questions I have, I had wondered about the interesting guard configuration and discovered that similar exist on forms of the 'spada schiavonesca' from c. 1480-1500 (Boccia & Coelho, 1975, p.345) in the early hilts of schiavona. The basic guard and quillon structure is of that and of course other European forms which later developed into the often more complex guards.
It is interesting to consider these hilt systems in their influence on those of the 'nimcha' as well as of course, the kasthane (as discussed in A. North, 1975, "A Late 15th Century Italian Sword, 'The Connoisseur'). In another article by the late Mr. North in 1989 ("17th and 18th Century Europe", Ed, M. Coe p.68-69) he notes with regard to the wares brought to Europe by Dutch traders from the Far East, "...they included some extraordinary sword hilts based on contemporary European forms- local craftsmen clearly had European hilts to copy from but decorated and constructed them in local and traditional styles".

It is clear that many features of European swords, particularly from North Italy filtered through trade routes from the late 15th century onward, and that that these often profoundly influenced the indigenous weapons of many ports of call. It seems that perhaps, conversely some features of weapons or material culture in these 'exotic' ports indeed influenced that of many other visited ports as well of course as their destined European trade centers.

There are a good number of European hangers which have lionheads and other grotesque creatures in their theme which date around 17th and 18th centuries clearly reflecting these influences. Some of the 'makara' head example swords often mistaken for Sinhalese are actually from Malaya, Thailand, Viet Nam and other SE Asian regions, but these reflect usually their own traditional symbolism..it is primarily the zoomorphic pommel concept which is notable toward comparison.

Great discussion here, and Gustav, thank you again for the clarification and extremely helpful notes.

All best regards,
Jim