An Indonesian(?) Klewang

[Rafngard]

Hello All,

I'm posting this for a friend of mine who wanted to know more about what she has. I'm hoping the brilliant minds here can tell us something. I haven't handled myself, as she's on the other side of the Atlantic in the UK, but if further pics are needed she can probably take some more.

The klewang came to my friend with a remarkable story, from her uncle. It was found, along with other Indonesian weapons, under the floor boards in an abandoned flat in the Netherlands during WWII, when the country was under Nazi occupation. My friend's uncle, a Jew who was deemed "crucial for the economy" and thus escaped the camps was among the men who found the stache. Not wanted to be thought a resistance cell, they split the weapons between the men, and my friend's uncle ended up with this. Because my friend has some interest in blacksmithing, her uncle gave this to her.

My friend's uncle called it a klewang, so that's what I'm calling. As it was found in the Netherlands, and from the overall look, we're fairly certain it's Indonesian. Beyond that, I have no clue.

The overall length is 653 mm including the pommel. The blade alone is 508 mm. The blade has a bit of a taper, being 9 mm at the thickest, and 2 mm at the tip.

Thanks in advance,
Leif

[kai]

Hello Leif,

this is a Balato from Nias.

From what I can glean from the blurry pics, it doesn't seem to be from the ol' headhunting days; probably no older than early 20th c.

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Hello Leif,

agree with Kai in all points.

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

Yep.

[Rafngard]

Thank you all very much.

A quick search through the archives makes yields quite a few similar pieces.

Thanks,
Leif

[asomotif]

Here is a similar type of hilt on display in Firenze/Florence IT, collected pre 1900 by Elio Modigliani.