A Lovely and Interesting Malay Sword

CharlesS · 2nd July 2017, 07:52 PM

Here is a sword that I suppose could be Indonesian or Malay, but I have my own ideas that it is Malay. The blade is 3-d pattern welded and starts off at the forte as a rather blah gray. As the blade's edges are tempered a nice effect occurs with etching, with what I have dubbed "50 shades of gray". The blades edges are beveled as we might would expect to see on an Indian tulwar sword. The beveled edges are burnished.

The hilt is covered in thick, quality silver over the grip in a motif of overlapping scales. The bolster is swassa(untested) in a typical Indonesian and Malay form. The pommel, where we might expect to see a Makara head in a variety of floral and pierced motifs, is, instead, a cast brass lion's head that has been worked for detail after casting. This heavy hilt creates a nice balance to the sword.

The scabbard is hardwood with en suite heavy silver fittings in scales and floral motifs.

Any input is welcomed, especially knowledge on the origin of this type of sword or the significance of the artistic motifs.

Dimensions:
Overall length: 30.25in.
Blade length: 23.25in.
Blade width at the center: 1.25in.
Blade thickness at the forte: 1/4in.

2nd July 2017, 07:52 PM	#1
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	A Lovely and Interesting Malay Sword Here is a sword that I suppose could be Indonesian or Malay, but I have my own ideas that it is Malay. The blade is 3-d pattern welded and starts off at the forte as a rather blah gray. As the blade's edges are tempered a nice effect occurs with etching, with what I have dubbed "50 shades of gray". The blades edges are beveled as we might would expect to see on an Indian tulwar sword. The beveled edges are burnished. The hilt is covered in thick, quality silver over the grip in a motif of overlapping scales. The bolster is swassa(untested) in a typical Indonesian and Malay form. The pommel, where we might expect to see a Makara head in a variety of floral and pierced motifs, is, instead, a cast brass lion's head that has been worked for detail after casting. This heavy hilt creates a nice balance to the sword. The scabbard is hardwood with en suite heavy silver fittings in scales and floral motifs. Any input is welcomed, especially knowledge on the origin of this type of sword or the significance of the artistic motifs. Dimensions: Overall length: 30.25in. Blade length: 23.25in. Blade width at the center: 1.25in. Blade thickness at the forte: 1/4in. Attached Images