Sword from the lesser Sunda islands (Timor?)

[Sajen]

Hello members,

this sword is already long in my possession. The seller told me that it is a Tanimbar sword but I have my doubts but it is certainly from the lesser Sunda islands up to East from Alor. I want to ask you if you are able to assign a correct origin and a estimated age of this sword. It is very big, 119 cm (46.85 inch) inside the sheat and the blade is 71 cm (27.95). The blade is mono steal so I think that the sword isn't from the 19th century. But handle and sheath have a nice patination so I don't think that it was made for those who travel.

All comments are very welcome and many thanks in advance,

Detlef

[Battara]

What a nice and fascinating piece!

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Battara

What a nice and fascinating piece!

Thank you Jose, and it is big and heavy like a kampilan.

Regards,

Detlef

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

I think you should try to get Karel Sirag's comments on this one since he has looked into these swords quite a bit. As you know, they come from a group of tribes with similar cultural background including Timor but basically including the whole chain(s) of islands from East of Flores to Tanimbar. AFAIK, the large pommel type from Tanimbar is a bit different and I'd posit that your example is from somewhere West of it. Karel states that this type A hilt is spread all over the region. However, the rounded scabbard foot is a bit rarer and may, with a few other interesting details, help to place it.

I agree that the carvings look genuine with good wear. The hilt usually has a thick horn ferrule and the use of brass may well indicate somewhat later work/repair. I'd guess at the first half of the 20th c. as a conservative estimate. Since blades were routinely imported for these swords a steel of European origin wouldn't necessarily exclude an earlier date though. OTOH, the carvings don't look as detailed/crisp as on some apparently older examples.

The large size probably indicates a status piece for a chief or other noted warrior.

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Hello Kai,

thank you for your elaborate comment. Like you I think that this sword is from a island West from Tanimbar while I think that the carving at the sheath mouth is typical for a South Moluccas island.
The ferrule is from iron formerly silver (?) plated.

Regards,

Detlef

[Albert]

I asked Karel Sirag for comment about this sword, for he has much more expertise on this type of weapons than I have. Here it is:

This sword really is quite megalomaniac! Such a big one I have never seen in my life!, the largest ever came to my attention. The normal size for this kind of weapon is 70/75 cm, with blades from 40 to 50 cm, so this one is outstanding large.
I agree with Kai this could be a status piece. With a blade of 70 cm it is usable and you can fight with it. The status mostly comes from the length of the scabbard.

This sword comes from the island of Alor, situated North of the island Timor. About the age of this piece I cannot say a word, it is very difficult to judge this from photographs. For such things you have to handle the piece itself, hold it in your fingers, smell it, even bite in it...

The handle is from the common type: Type A (1), the one on the picture has a slooped side, this type is slightly more frequent than the straight sided ones: Type B (1).
The decoration on the handle is traditional and quite similar with others I know. Although there are handles without any carving, with only a single 'eye' in the centre.
The carving on the picture is, compared with the ones I am familiar with, a bit more crude.
As Kai states, the ferrule on the lower side of the handle should be completed with a tightly fitted ring of horn, this to prevent splitting.
Often these handles are adorned with bundles of goatshair, as we see in the picture. But this is not a standard feature. I have seen several handles without any hole to put the hair into.

About the blade: I do not know what Sajen means with 'Mono steal'. Most of the 'normal' blades we found on Alor or the surrounding islands came there by trade. As far as I know, they were not made locally. The bunch of these blades, and especially the more older ones, were made on Solor by the thousands and traded everywhere (a.o. by the VOC). That is why you find on these islands always so many swords with blades in the same shape. (3)
Although you also find on Alorswords shortened European swords and even altered machetes.
The blade on the photograph looks similiar to the 'common' ones, but a bit longer. As stated before, I cannot say anything about the age of it.

The scabbard, with the exception of its length, also looks very traditional, with only two deviations: the mouthpiece and the foot.
First, the mouthpiece on the picture is broader than its height: rectangular, while we normally see, with no exception, that this piece is square.

The typical decoration on the mouthpiece, compared with decoration on bamboocontainers from this aera (3), indicates that this weapon originates from the centre of the island.
Although there should be more of course, I only know two other Alorswords with a decoration like this one. One in a private collection in England and another one from the Vatter-collection, collected in situ, 1928/29.
The latter one is shown in his book "Ata Kiwan" (4) and also in Ruth Barnes (3) ill. 684, page 270.

Second, the foot: This is the first one I see with a rounded foot. I do not think this is original.
Traditionally there should be a foot in the shape of something that looks somewhat like a 'fat comma' (has anybody a better description?) (see 1, page 138, ill. 582, 583, 584) projecting to the edgeside.
Perhaps the foot on the sword of Sajen is a restauration or replacement?

The sheaths of all the older swords from Alor I know, are made in a special way. Two flat pieces of wood bound together with a rattan winding is normal on swords, but on Alor there is a small difference. The special way they differ from a 'normal' sheath is the foot: this is óne single piece. The backside of the scabbard is shorter than the piece of wood in the front. In this way the foot is stronger.
On the sides of the foot mostly there is a hint of carving and sometimes you find a small hole for attaching some goatshair.

The difference of the last two mentioned deviations does not say this weapon is not genuine. It only says that it differs from what we see as 'normal'.

About the name: For this type of weapon are several names in circulation. Like OPI, but Baessler (5) states this is the name for the sword on the island of Wetar. Foy (6) uses the name MOSO and RUGI for almost two identical swords. Also I read somewhere the name SONDI.
I prefer the name HAR. This name is given to this type of sword (3, pag 270) by the forenamed Vatter. He was, in contrast with lots of closet scholars in those days, a person who travelled himself. And every piece he collected was noted with a small drawing, names, measurements etc.
I think, but this is personal, this name HAR is the closest we can get to what concerns the namegiving of swords from the island of Alor.

K.S.
April 2011.

(1) See: A.G.van Zonneveld, "Trad. Weapons of the Ind. Archipelago" (2001), page 137-139.
(2) See: A de Roever, "De jacht op sandelhout" (2002), page 22, 159, 172, 290.
(3) See: Ruth Barnes, "Ostindonesien im 20. Jahrhundert: Auf den Spuren der Sammlung Ernst Vatter" (2004), page 241.
(4) See: Ernst Vatter, "Ata Kiwan - Unbekannte Bergvölker im Tropisch Holland" (1932), page 79.
(5) See: A.Baessler, "Ethnographische Beitrage zur Kennis des Ostindische Archipels" (Int. Archiv für Ethn. 1891), Tafel VII/9, page 74, no. 20.
(6) See: Foy, "Schwerter von der Celebes-See" (Dresden, 1899), Tafel VI.

[Sajen]

Hello Albert,

thank you very much for your help and effort!

Hello Karel,

also to you: many many thank's for your very detailed comment.

In your articel in (1, "Trad. Weapons of the Ind. Archipelago") you write that the handles of Type A are from horn, this handle is from wood.

Sorry about the confusion I create by the words "mono steal", meant was "mono steel" (sometimes I make mistakes in english, sorry). I can't see any hint that these blade have a lamination but I may be wrong by this.

You are most certainly correct that the foot is a later replacement, the patination is very different from the other parts of the sheath. I have had the same impression when I received the sword.
I have bought it from a "runner" in Indonesia who is from Alor, so I think that this replacement was carved later to get a better price. Confusing is only that he sold it to me as a Tanimbar sword.

Again, many many thank's for your effort by comment this sword!

Kind regards,

Detlef

[Sentrad]

Dear members,
though I am a member since 2010, due to some reasons my first post is following only now.

I think Karel Sirag has given about the Alor sword in this thread a very in depth going comment about this “megalomaniac” big sword. So just only some shorts notes from my side:

I am lucky to have got this big sword into my hands (Alor 1) and another one with some similarities, but no carvings at the scabbard mouth (Alor 2). Both of them are very top-heavy and difficult to handle, and a usual swordplay is not possible.

I had checked the foot of Alor 1, which was definitely a not well made repair, pre-sumably made in Indonesia. As Karel Sirag mentioned, the buntut of the swords of this region are like fat commas or shoe-shaped, but this is rounded. Normally repairs are made after existing pieces, so there is at least the opportunity that there are vari-eties with such a scabbard point.

Alor 2 has the length of 98.0 cm with scabbard, 86.7 cm without scabbard and the blade measures 61.5 cm. The blade is a common one, no watered steel. The mouth-piece of the scabbard and the sarong is out of very heavy hard wood kaju hitam. It is rectangular as Alor 1 and not square, but without any carvings. The foot consists out of one piece of wood and it is rounded as Alor 1. On one side of the foot there is a rough carving of a sun motive. For me it looks original in all parts, the blade is fitting to the scabbard and the wrapping has a nice patina.

So it looks for me, that there could be a subtype of this Alor sword with a variation of the foot.

A word to the carvings of the mouthpiece of Alor 1:
Vatter [lit. 4, page 243, plate 79] and Barnes [lit. 3, page 270, Abb. 648] describe the carvings of the only Alor sword collected by Vatter as Naga ornaments. Unfortunate-ly the pics in both books are not very sufficient, but the carvings at Alor 1 are very different from all the other Naga illustrations in Vatter’s book. Within this forum (lit. 7) we can see a similar mouthpiece in a very fine photo, which shows the same motive like Alor 1.

The blades of the swords within the region are made by Muslims; two of the 4 Raja families in Alor are Muslims as well. So perhaps this ornament could be a Muslim motive, the symbol of the Paradise Rivers flowing into the four cardinal directions. It appears often in the Muslim world on objects of utility, for example [lit. 8, page 178-85].

Is there anybody within the community who could give some advice on this subject?

About the name: Some thirty years before Vatter J. Adrian Jacobsen travelled within Nusa tenggara timur. He was a Norwegian ship captain commissioned by one of the world largest and very famous Ethnological Museum in Berlin, former Museum fuer Voelkerkunde. He did so much in getting ethnographical pieces from Indonesia and later the northern coasts of North America, that still until today a memorial plate in the museum commemorates him. He names that Alor sword rugi-glawang and within his book is a nice sketch of an Alor warrior [lit. 9, page 93].

Udo

(7)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=rugi

(8)
Alantar, Hüseyin
Die Sprache der Motive
Istanbul 2007, Yorum Yayincilik; 304pp., numerous colour illstr., bibliography. Ger-man text.

(9)
Jacobsen, Johann Adrian
Reise in die Inselwelt des Banda Meeres
Berlin 1896, Mitscher & Röstell; 271 pp., numerous b/w illstr., German text.


The pics show the status sword in comparison wth a normal rugi, both status swords, Alor 2 (four pics) and an Alor warrior.

[LJ]

I don't know if you know, but ... A very useful online catalogue is provided by the Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden. If you look for 'zwaard' and narrow the results down to Indonesie, you still get hundreds of images.

[Sajen]

First, a affectionate welcome to the forum! I can't understand really why your first very interesting and well researched post with very good pictures don't get more attention.
Since I've handled both swords I have to agree that both are very top-heavy and difficult to handle and also that both show good signs of age and wear and would place them to the first half of the 20th century. And I agree that both are maybe status swords and that they most probably belong to a not documented subtype of Alor swords. Both swords has also very similar carvings on the top of the foot, a good sign of originality.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Udo,

welcome to the non-lurking members guild of the forum!

Thanks for sharing the 2nd example of what may well be another pattern of these swords and all the effort you put into posting it!

Despite their vibrant tribal appeal, I believe the swords from Nusa Tenggara Timur are undercollected. It's great to have another enthusiast studying these!

I am lucky to have got this big sword into my hands (Alor 1) and another one with some similarities, but no carvings at the scabbard mouth (Alor 2).

Could you please also post close-ups of the back of the scabbard foot and mouth as well as close-ups of the hilt? TIA!

So it looks for me, that there could be a subtype of this Alor sword with a variation of the foot.

I hope we'll come across a third example to confirm this really is another traditional pattern. Surik (II) from Timor can have a round scabbard foot and there also is another type of scabbard with almost symmetrical albeit kinda rectangular foot (AvZ Figs. 580+581; somewhat alluding to styles seen on Sulawesi). Thus, esthetics in the region seem to be compatible with a round or symmetrical finial, too.

BTW, any provenance or other details known for example #2?

The blades of the swords within the region are made by Muslims; two of the 4 Raja families in Alor are Muslims as well. So perhaps this ornament could be a Muslim motive, the symbol of the Paradise Rivers flowing into the four cardinal directions. It appears often in the Muslim world on objects of utility, for example [lit. 8, page 178-85].

Is there anybody within the community who could give some advice on this subject?

I need to hit the books first.

I'd expect Muslim influence to concentrate on the coastal regions whereas Karel posits that this is an traditional Alor motif suggesting an origin from the center of the island. This doesn't preclude it having outside roots though.

He names that Alor sword rugi-glawang and within his book is a nice sketch of an Alor warrior [lit. 9, page 93].

Yes, Rugi seems to be an old name, too. Obviously, glawang is an alternative transliteration of the generic (pan-Indo/Malay) term klewang.


Thanks again for your posting and keep it coming! BTW, I notified Karel of your contribution and hope he'll chime in again, too.

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

both show good signs of age and wear and would place them to the first half of the 20th century.

From the pics, the hilt carving of #2 seems to be of somewhat better quality and I'd also consider an earlier date for this sword. The round scabbard foot including the sun motif looks fairly roughly carved though. Please keep up posted if other specialists have been able to examine both pieces.

Both swords has also very similar carvings on the top of the foot

Yes, these oval "windows" cut into the angular intermediate carving (itself a very unusual feature) are an interesting detail! Any remnants of lime paste or even inlay, etc.?

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

BTW, any provenance or other details known for example #2?

Hello Kai,

this one coming primarily some years ago from an Austrian seller who living on Bali and was in the collection of a man from Berlin and was lately offered to me.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

Yes, these oval "windows" cut into the angular intermediate carving (itself a very unusual feature) are an interesting detail! Any remnants of lime paste or even inlay, etc.?

No signs that there has been lime paste or inlays in this "windows".

[Sentrad]

Thank you very much Detlev and Kai for your nice welcome words! Here are the close-up pics from Alor sword #2 from one side, other side will follow.

Udo

[Sentrad]

Pics from the other side of Alor sword #2. The bottom of the shoe of this sword shows some cracks,perhaps from putting it on the ground during ceremonies?

Udo

[ausjulius]

nice example to see. youd think they woudl actually be more information on these but even among Portuguese and dutch collectors theyer obscure.. or even info on the different timorese ethic styles and different tools ect.

historically timor was a centre of blade making in this area of the archipelago
.. and this style has been transported to papua. the back of the tip of the native papuan made knives is sharp though and their larger blades also have worked spines and punch work which the timorese do not.. ..
but apparently the maccassans would buy the blades in timor and then sell them again in the areas where they traded with the west part of papua.. introducing steel working .. and this same pointy blade..

[kai]

Hello ausjulius,

youd think they woudl actually be more information on these but even among Portuguese and dutch collectors theyer obscure.. or even info on the different timorese ethic styles and different tools ect.

Actually, there is quite a bit to be found in old, antique books, etc. Specializing in these swords and doing more research would be great IMHO!

Also, while genuine antique pieces have never been common, these swords are represented in collections (private as well as musea). Quite a few seem to be in "tribal art" collections and also most weapon collectors will only have one example of the "type" from Nusantara timur rather than focusing on them. I'd suggest to join forces and contribute to a better understanding - posting and discussing any extant examples in this forum would be a first step which might later be follwed up upon by a dedicated group of enthusiasts.

historically timor was a centre of blade making in this area of the archipelago
.. and this style has been transported to papua. the back of the tip of the native papuan made knives is sharp though and their larger blades also have worked spines and punch work which the timorese do not.. ..
but apparently the maccassans would buy the blades in timor and then sell them again in the areas where they traded with the west part of papua.. introducing steel working .. and this same pointy blade..

I'm not sure I'm following you - could you post examples of what you refer to, please?

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Hello Udo,

Sorry for the delay - I'll be back with some more info soon, hopefully.

Thanks a lot for the great close-ups - keep up the good work! BTW, do you have any other examples from the larger Timor region in your collection?

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

<quote>
On item #2, posted by Udo (aka Sentrad) on Sept. 11th, 2014:

I am glad with the detailed photographs. Many, many details, I love it. As far I can see from these photographs (preferable one should feel it in the hand and even smell the natural origin of the materials!) it looks as it is genuine and a weapon with some age. But there are a few differences with what may be called 'the normal Har from Alor island'.

Hilt: as far I can see, this is made of wood. Which is strange. I know only two other made of wood. The decoration running along the 'forehead' differs slightly and is a bit more crudely made than what you would expect from a professional carver. Also the 'eye' is different: the usual form is a circle with a slightly bulbous centre (often covered with a disc made from tin or lead) and not a flat disc. Concerning the metal ferrule at the base of the hilt: normally it is a ring of horn around the base to prevent cracking. Aside from these two examples, I have not seen any metal ferrule on typical Alor sword hilts. This is sometimes seen in Wetar swords, not common though.

Blade: Mostly this is a straight one and more slender, a 'standard' import from Solor. Or, more rare, import from Southern Sulawesi (Rumbiah) with its typical rows of twistcore 'pamor'. These imported blades are often 'reshaped' by filing until obtaining the shape that the Alor people thought was their own tradition (passed on by their ancestors). I cannot see wether there is a brass peg inlaid along the back of the blade where it slopes down towards the tip. Most of the time (nine out of ten) it is present.

Sheath: The wood used here I recognize the same as on one of my swords from Wetar (Opi), also the way of patination on the rattan, now flaked, I found on sheaths of Wetar swords. As already said in my notes before on April 1st, 2010, the disc shaped finial or 'foot' of the sheath of item #1 (and of #2, too!) is weird and unique. It is even more curious to see TWO of these popping up in the same collection!

Provisional conservative conclusion: Because of the fact there are two pieces which have same features (wooden hilt with metal base, just a flat circle as 'eye', not 'standard' blades and rounded foot) and who differ from the 'normal' known swords from Alor, but who have, as far as can be seen from photographs, certain age and show use, it is possible this is a rather rare subspecies of the commonly known Har. That this is originating from Alor rather than from Wetar can be inferred from the carvings on both hilts as well as the sheath of item #1. As far as I know, Wetar Opi have plain hilts with no decoration nor eye, and have undecorated, somewhat wider scabbards.

As explained in my former notes the decoration of the 'wrongka' of item #1 should be from the centre of the island. It is a riddle which I do not have any solution for yet.

I may conclude this is an Alor sword which shows some Wetar influences. Import, immigration, marriage, trade, who knows?

Having said this: This makes collecting Indonesian weaponry so interesting. If you, as a collector, want to find everything easily in a book, you better collect stamps.

Karel Sirag
<unquote>

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

<quote>
Having said this: This makes collecting Indonesian weaponry so interesting. If you, as a collector, want to find everything easily in a book, you better collect stamps.

Karel Sirag
<unquote>

Very true!

[Sajen]

I still have a Rugi/Har which I get once from my friend who is a "orang" Alor. He told me that this sword is from his father. This sword has a wooden hilt with iron ferrule (hidden by the red cloth), the carving is also a little bit crude, blade isn't laminated and the goats hair was replaced some years ago by the owner. He coming from the South of Alor, village Musape. The sword is 63,5 cm long, no scabbard. Blade is 4,4 mm thick at the base.

[Sajen]

Maybe Udo can show some pictures from the smaller sword shown in post #8, this sword I've sold him years ago and coming from the same source.

[Sajen]

Here two pictures from Alor warriors I just found by google.