2 new acquisitions for ID please

Kmaddock · 3rd March 2019, 09:06 PM

Athanase,
Here are more pictures of the hilt, the dragon is missing an eye and handle has some cracking but the carving is v v good as you can see.
The blade and scabbard are nice too with silver work on the scabbard and some nice laminations on blade, again I cleaned th3 blade and got all the scratches out.
Any more information or comments gratefully accepted.
Regards
Ken

kai · 3rd March 2019, 10:55 PM

Hello Ken,

Yes, a really very nice Sunda hilt!

BTW, the crack at the base of the hilt is usually from the horn shrinking due to dry air, especially during winter (from heating). Try to keep humidity and temperature changes to a minimum!

The width of the crack makes me think that the tang probably got rusted quite a bit which often contributes to the cracking. It may be preferable to remove the rust for long-term preservation. However, the main focus needs to be on not damaging the hilt any further - let me know whenever you plan to restore this piece, please.

Regards,
Kai

kai · 3rd March 2019, 11:04 PM

Hello Ken,

We'll need better (and larger) close-ups of the Moro kris, I'm afraid.

With the current pics, I still tend towards Sulu. I also believe to see a separate gangya but sometimes this is really difficult to establish without personally examining the base of the blade under magnification...

If my guesswork is not too far off the mark, this example may originate around the turn of the 20th century. Quite certainly an antique piece with nice scroll work at the base of the blade!

Regards,
Kai

satsujinken · 5th April 2019, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmaddock

Athanase,
Here are more pictures of the hilt, the dragon is missing an eye and handle has some cracking but the carving is v v good as you can see.
The blade and scabbard are nice too with silver work on the scabbard and some nice laminations on blade, again I cleaned th3 blade and got all the scratches out.
Any more information or comments gratefully accepted.
Regards
Ken

Very nice pedang sunda (Sundanese sword), I take it as Situmang themed pariaman styled handle made from carved water buffalo horn ?

cracked handle are common even here. so some makers added metal rings to reinforce the lower part of the handle

3rd March 2019, 09:06 PM	#1
Kmaddock Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 543	Athanase, Here are more pictures of the hilt, the dragon is missing an eye and handle has some cracking but the carving is v v good as you can see. The blade and scabbard are nice too with silver work on the scabbard and some nice laminations on blade, again I cleaned th3 blade and got all the scratches out. Any more information or comments gratefully accepted. Regards Ken Attached Images

3rd March 2019, 11:04 PM	#3
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Ken, We'll need better (and larger) close-ups of the Moro kris, I'm afraid. With the current pics, I still tend towards Sulu. I also believe to see a separate gangya but sometimes this is really difficult to establish without personally examining the base of the blade under magnification... If my guesswork is not too far off the mark, this example may originate around the turn of the 20th century. Quite certainly an antique piece with nice scroll work at the base of the blade! Regards, Kai Last edited by kai; 3rd March 2019 at 11:20 PM.

3rd March 2019, 10:55 PM	#2
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Ken, Yes, a really very nice Sunda hilt! BTW, the crack at the base of the hilt is usually from the horn shrinking due to dry air, especially during winter (from heating). Try to keep humidity and temperature changes to a minimum! The width of the crack makes me think that the tang probably got rusted quite a bit which often contributes to the cracking. It may be preferable to remove the rust for long-term preservation. However, the main focus needs to be on not damaging the hilt any further - let me know whenever you plan to restore this piece, please. Regards, Kai