Pedang from Bali or Lombok?
 

Happy New Year to all forumites and their loved ones!

IMHO, this is a neat, hefty blade: 580 mm (just under 23") long, 12.2 mm (almost half an inch) thick and weighting in at 777 g (1 lb and 11.4 oz)! The hilt needs extensive TLC and I also need to take better pics of the blade after cleaning and warangan. Sorrily, there's no extant scabbard.

Please share pics of any similar pedang! Any leads for selecting a suitable scabbard style would be greatly appreciated, too!

Any indicators this pedang originates from Bali rather than Lombok? The quite nicely controlled pamor mlumah is out of stain and visible due to a slightly topographic etch rather than the polished blade surface I'd expect with a blade from Bali proper. Any suggestions?

Regards,
Kai

All that I can say is that this is a beautiful blade! :D

Hi Kai,

Is this the blade from the Pedang I sent you with the last purchase or another?

Gavin

Hello Gavin,

This is the pedang coming from you, indeed - thanks! ;)

Any source info that I didn't pulled from you already? How thick was the rust you had to remove after acquisition? Any hints on prior storage?

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kai,

As you received it is how I received it, nothing altered, nothing removed or applied, just clove oiled and wrapped in foil as was your request for the storage.
I think the previous owner liked BIG things as I also received a 124cms Jian from the same collection.
If not previously mentioned it was an EU collection, beyond that I have no history.
Its true origins elude me but I am certain the hilt was original to it, albiet not well preserved but repaired as you were aware.
Origins, Bali? Lombok?
What about Java and or Sumatra/Palembang? I only suggest this based on the blade profile for Java (disregarding the deep fullers) and Sumatra based on the hilt construction of the silver over timber and also the tip for some reason reminds be of some Bugis Keris is its facets.

I look forward to seeing more of these large, heavy, broad robust types surface in conversation.

Gavin

Thanks, Jose!

I do like the flow of lines from the nice fullers. The fullers also help to accentuate the pamor.

It seems to share some of the aesthetics of keris ligan from Bali|Lombok. However, if you look at the details, the blade smith's carving work tends to differ quite a bit.

Regards,
Kai

Thanks for confirmation, Gavin! The cleaning tray pics suggested some initial emergency work but good to know that the blade surface did not suffer from long-time collection storage as my cleaning was minimal.


Yes, see below on the hilt.


I hope Alan can give a more authoritative answer on things Jawa. He recently had an extremely nice pedang following typical Jawa aesthetics.

While Sumatran blades can have very exquisite fullering, this doesn't strike me as a likely origin for the pedang under discussion.

Based mainly on the hilt, I also considered a possible Bugis origin, indeed! However, the blade as well as the hilt are way more hefty than anything I've seen coming from Gowa or Bone...

I will try to post a decent pic of the hilt later but would like the discussion to center on the blade for the time being.


Hope so, too - keep them coming!

Regards,
Kai

Kai, to my eye this blade bears the signs of Balinese workmanship, however I am not prepared to have any guesses at geographic point of origin, it could be Bali itself, Balinese colony in Lombok, Balinese influence in East Jawa, even Balinese influence in Madura.

Remnants of whatever dress you have might help.

If this were mine, I would be inclined to dress it in plain storage scabbard and hilt, rather than try to imitate an historic style.