Weapons of North Sumatra (Volz 1906)

[Roland_M]

Hello,

I hope, this pictures are for others as interesting as for me.

This are pictures from a german Expedition book through North Sumatra in 1904-1906.

The informations in this book are invaluable, two books of the nature and human life in Sumatra almost untouched by the western civilisation.

There are only some pages about weapons but they are also incredible. About the origin of the Rentjong for example and many many more.

If someone is interested, i can make some translations.

I believe it could be nice to see some real examples. I start with a Batak Kalasan with Sukul Nganga hilt as a dagger with an old high quality Taka-blade.


Best wishes,
Roland

[danny1976]

Hi Roland ,

Thanks for posting this !
If you want to take the effort to make some translations it would be nice for here on the forum.

[Jim McDougall]

Roland,
This is an absolutely fantastic contribution here! and these are perfectly illustrated examples in outstanding graphics. Though not my field of study, I very much appreciate having this kind of material to add to the corpus of data we archive on all weapons forms here.
As mentioned, comments and translated captions would be wonderful entries from the knowledge core of those in our ranks who consistently add great examples of these weapons here. It really helps to have this kind of an appendix to refer to in research.

Thank you very much!

Jim

[Ian]

Roland:

Thank you very much for posting these pictures. They complement other works, such as Albert von Zonneveld's more recent book on weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago. If you have the time to translate the legends to these figures, it would be greatly appreciated.

All great stuff!

Ian.

[Sajen]

Thank you Roland for adding the plates from Volz at this place!

When I have time I will take some pictures from my kalasan.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Roland,

This are pictures from a german Expedition book through North Sumatra in 1904-1906.

For those preferring a PDF, Arjan has a file for download here .

The 2-volume book "Nord-Sumatra" by Volz (1909/1912) is indeed a very important early source (and well worth thumbing through even if your German language skill is not up to it). One has to realize that some of these cultures were terra incognita and no go areas till the end of the 19th century or even well into the 20th century until the Dutch managed to grasp firm colonial control (soon to be lost to the Japanese and post-WW2 turmoils)!

I believe it could be nice to see some real examples. I start with a Batak Kalasan with Sukul Nganga hilt as a dagger with an old high quality Takablade.

Looks like a neat Karo piece - looking forward to seeing close-ups and, especially, the blade (preferably pre- and post-TLC)!

I believe it will help the exposure of these nice Batak weapons if examples like this are posted and discussed in a dedicated thread for each piece rather than getting lumped into a thread in coffee table book style which makes discussions rather complex and less focused! (The historic figures show pieces from over 7 quite distinct cultures and the area harbors quite a few more...)

Regards,
Kai

[Gavin Nugent]

Thank you very much for presenting this little known work here, I look forward to seeing how the thread develops.

Kai, thank you for the PDF file too. Question, I can only see three plates in the PDF? Roland presents more. is the full work available on PDF?

With thanks

Gavin

[Roland_M]

Thanks for the great feedback.

At the latest next weekend I will translate the legends, because they are not just contain the name but also the place of origin in many cases and other useful informations. Maybe I'm going to manipulate the picture-legends.

For example the Peudeung Pasangan (Sikin Pasangan seems to be wrong for the saber type) comes from Tawar-lake area. So I'm very sure, that the hilt symbolizes a fishtail.



Roland

[Roland_M]

Originally Posted by Gavin Nugent

Thank you very much for presenting this little known work here, I look forward to seeing how the thread develops.

Kai, thank you for the PDF file too. Question, I can only see three plates in the PDF? Roland presents more. is the full work available on PDF?

With thanks

Gavin

Hello Gevin,

I have two books, one about the Batak-lands, the other one about the Gajo-lands. The pdf contains only part one.

My pictures are fastly made with a camera, if the pictures are really useful, I can make high quality scans from them.

Roland

[Gavin Nugent]

Here are a few example Roland.
I've some Lopah somewhere too...and other pieces laying around...

Gavin

[mariusgmioc]

Briliant!

Thank you Roland!

[Roland_M]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Roland,

Looks like a neat Karo piece - looking forward to seeing close-ups and, especially, the blade (preferably pre- and post-TLC)!

Regards,
Kai

Hello Kai,

thank you and I think I will make a complete thread about the Kalasan in the next few days. I received the Kalasan just five days ago, so the blade is almost untouched by me, at least until now . Seems to have a beautiful hamon.


Roland

[DaveA]

Will you please provide the complete citation for the book? Thank you.

Dave A.

[kai]

Volz, Wilhelm. 1909/1912. Nord-Sumatra. Bericht über eine im Auftrag der Humboldt-Stiftung der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin in den Jahren 1904-1906 ausgeführte Forschungsreise. Berlin, Dietrich Reimer (Ernst Vohsen) [publisher].
Band I. Die Batakländer. 1909. XXI+396 pp. & 3 maps.
Band II. Die Gajoländer. 1912. XXI+428 pp. & 2 maps.
[if the German "Umlaute" don't display correctly: ue = ü; oe = ö; ae = ä]

[kai]

Hello Gavin,

Question, I can only see three plates in the PDF? Roland presents more.

Yes, the PDF has the Batak pieces from volume 1 only. I believe Arjan had a PDF with the pertinent plates from volume 2 (Gayo/Alas), too. It's certainly worth checking out his downloads...

is the full work available on PDF?

I have only found the second volume online (scanned from a recent facsimile reprint):
https://books.google.de/books?id=2dpVAQAAQBAJ

Here is a link to the first volume (Batak):
https://books.google.de/books?id=XgNXAAAAMAAJ

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Original copies of both volumes are usually quite expensive.

For those who would like an affordable working copy, there are facsimile reprints available: Literaricon Verlag has both volumes (reprint 2015) and there are at least 2 other publishers also offering volume 2 (reprint 2013 and 2014). I can't vouch for the printing quality though.

I don't want to post any commercial links; if you have problems finding these online, just drop me a line...

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Here some pictures from the both examples of my collection.

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Nice examples!

I'd suggest to discuss pieces that are not connected to the expeditions by Volz in separate threads though...

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Hello Kai,

yes, they are good honest examples and Roland ask for pictures. I doubt that they are worth for an own thread!?

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Sure, any genuine ethnographic piece is worthy of a dedicated discussion - not only high-end stuff!

(BTW, the Karo kalasan with silver/suasa definitely is an above-average example.)

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

Sure, any genuine ethnographic piece is worthy of a dedicated discussion - not only high-end stuff!

I need better light to take some more and better pictures, maybe I'll start a new thread for them.

Originally Posted by kai

(BTW, the Karo kalasan with silver/suasa definitely is an above-average example.)

Yes, for sure. It coming new to my collection in a poor state, the upper broad scabbard fitting band shows tribal repairs, the silver/suassa sleeve from the handle is missing but the blade is in a very good state.

Regards,
Detlef

[Miguel]

Thank you very much for posting this info absolutely brilliant, cant wait for the translation.
Miguel

[kai]

For those browsing old threads, Roland's translation of the figure legends (and better pics) can be found here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22993

Regards,
Kai