A gobang with VOC blade

Maurice · 4th June 2016, 09:13 AM

Hi Detlef,

A pity the hilt is broken. I hope you will get your hand to the broken part!
The scabbard is typically for a gobang from the Preanger area, Java, just as the hilt (which can be categorised as a "type III" hilt according the gobang article).
Your sword is the "forerunner" and much older as the famous "tjikeroe" swords at the end of the 19th century, early 20th century.

I agree with Jim (Yes Jim, the "M" chamber is from Middelburg), that the blade could be a Solingen blade, which were ordered in large amounts by the VOC at that time, and I have seen several Western blades like this in gobangs from that area and early date. Also several were stamped with the VOC, chamber, date, and makersmarks, on both sides of the blade.

About the stamps there are a lot of assumptions, which we are still working on to find out. They are often stamped in a "typically Western" way (but are they?), or they are engraved like yours on a more Eastern way.

We are in the middle of a study with the eye on marked VOC blades, and we studied some blades from old collections, and we found there the "Western style" stamped and "Eastern style" engraved ones as well. So both were occuring.

Also there are gobangs, which are engraved with names and decorations on the blade, also dated (but with no VOC and chamber), like the R. vd Capellen gobang (page 17 and 18 in the gobang article).

Best wishes,
Maurice

4th June 2016, 09:13 AM	#10
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,453	Hi Detlef, A pity the hilt is broken. I hope you will get your hand to the broken part! The scabbard is typically for a gobang from the Preanger area, Java, just as the hilt (which can be categorised as a "type III" hilt according the gobang article). Your sword is the "forerunner" and much older as the famous "tjikeroe" swords at the end of the 19th century, early 20th century. I agree with Jim (Yes Jim, the "M" chamber is from Middelburg), that the blade could be a Solingen blade, which were ordered in large amounts by the VOC at that time, and I have seen several Western blades like this in gobangs from that area and early date. Also several were stamped with the VOC, chamber, date, and makersmarks, on both sides of the blade. About the stamps there are a lot of assumptions, which we are still working on to find out. They are often stamped in a "typically Western" way (but are they?), or they are engraved like yours on a more Eastern way. We are in the middle of a study with the eye on marked VOC blades, and we studied some blades from old collections, and we found there the "Western style" stamped and "Eastern style" engraved ones as well. So both were occuring. Also there are gobangs, which are engraved with names and decorations on the blade, also dated (but with no VOC and chamber), like the R. vd Capellen gobang (page 17 and 18 in the gobang article). Best wishes, Maurice