Indonesian Riddle - Who knows what this is?

fearn · 30th September 2009, 07:42 PM

Looking at it some more, I'm not so sure that the writings were done at two different times. Basically, the design layout is too unified, and I don't see evidence that one artist scraped off the design of another in order to make room for his design, which the artist would need to, given that the Hindu and Muslim motifs are mixed..

What I'd suggest is that the blade might in fact be talismanic in some way. Since magical objects often blend faiths (at least in Europe), I think the combination of Muslim and Hindu religious symbology may have been deliberate. The individual motifs may have even been done by different artists, but there was a single design overall, and the blade decorations were put together all at once.

Perhaps it has been rehilted, too?

Best,

F

erikscollectables · 30th September 2009, 07:49 PM

What do you think the use would have been with this amount of talismanic script? Ceremonial only or also fighting? (the point was chipped off but not recently)

I also go for rehilted but long (maybe more than 100 years) ago or so as the current hilt also has a lot of age.

Erik

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearn

Looking at it some more, I'm not so sure that the writings were done at two different times. Basically, the design layout is too unified, and I don't see evidence that one artist scraped off the design of another in order to make room for his design, which the artist would need to, given that the Hindu and Muslim motifs are mixed..

What I'd suggest is that the blade might in fact be talismanic in some way. Since magical objects often blend faiths (at least in Europe), I think the combination of Muslim and Hindu religious symbology may have been deliberate. The individual motifs may have even been done by different artists, but there was a single design overall, and the blade decorations were put together all at once.

Perhaps it has been rehilted, too?

Best,

F

fearn · 30th September 2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikscollectables

What do you think the use would have been with this amount of talismanic script? Ceremonial only or also fighting? (the point was chipped off but not recently)

I also go for rehilted but long (maybe more than 100 years) ago or so as the current hilt also has a lot of age.

Erik

Not sure about the amount of talismanic stuff. My guess would be superstition (i.e. the owner or gift-giver wanted to make sure this blade was "lucky"), but I don't know enough about Indonesian shamanism (whatever the local version is) to know whether this would be appropriate as a spiritual/ceremonial weapon.

Was it used? You can tell us. There is that chipped tip, but from the photos, I can't tell whether the blade has been reground, or whether it was never used. Right now, I don't see any signs of use damage (other than the tip), and absent that, it's hard to tell whether it was ever used.

Best,

F

Lew · 30th September 2009, 09:34 PM

Here is one I owned in 2001 it also had inscriptions on the blade.

asomotif · 30th September 2009, 10:23 PM

Hello Erik,

Interesting blade. Where do you keep finding them

Maybe this weapon was made for a muslim living on Borneo ?

Lews example also shows some borneo influence, but Sumatra springs to mind as well on that one.

erikscollectables · 1st October 2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOUIEBLADES

Here is one I owned in 2001 it also had inscriptions on the blade.

Do you still have a photo of the inscriptions that it had?
What was the attribution of your piece?

Erik

Henk · 1st October 2009, 06:46 PM

Great sword and a great find.

In my opinion definitely Borneo.
My first thought was a rehilted parang ihlang.

asomotif · 2nd October 2009, 10:13 PM

Hello Erik,

Somebody noticed some square motifs on the blade similar to the parang nabur decoration :

30th September 2009, 09:34 PM	#4
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Here is one I owned in 2001 it also had inscriptions on the blade. Attached Images

2nd October 2009, 10:13 PM	#8
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,228	Hello Erik, Somebody noticed some square motifs on the blade similar to the parang nabur decoration : Attached Images

30th September 2009, 07:42 PM	#1
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Looking at it some more, I'm not so sure that the writings were done at two different times. Basically, the design layout is too unified, and I don't see evidence that one artist scraped off the design of another in order to make room for his design, which the artist would need to, given that the Hindu and Muslim motifs are mixed.. What I'd suggest is that the blade might in fact be talismanic in some way. Since magical objects often blend faiths (at least in Europe), I think the combination of Muslim and Hindu religious symbology may have been deliberate. The individual motifs may have even been done by different artists, but there was a single design overall, and the blade decorations were put together all at once. Perhaps it has been rehilted, too? Best, F

30th September 2009, 10:23 PM	#5
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,228	Hello Erik, Interesting blade. Where do you keep finding them Maybe this weapon was made for a muslim living on Borneo ? Lews example also shows some borneo influence, but Sumatra springs to mind as well on that one.

1st October 2009, 06:46 PM	#7
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	Great sword and a great find. In my opinion definitely Borneo. My first thought was a rehilted parang ihlang.