What's this Borneo,celebes,java or Timor.
 

Hi,

I also discussed the piece " backstage" but we can find out wher its from.
I had the opionion that it maybe came from Banjar(Borneo) but also Celebes is mentioned.

The swords is 52 cm long.
handle is of wood decorated with silver and humanhair( at least I think its course its quite soft)
Blade has a very fine pamor structure and is very thick near the handle.

Arjan.

Hello Arjan,

In my opinion it is a Javanese Golok. The shape of the blade, the scabbard and the lower part of the hilt all are 'right'. The upper part of the hilt, and the attached hair seem to be 'wrong' however. I suppose the upper part has been broken off, and the hair has been attached later. I think the complete hilt had a styilized bird's head as motif. You still see three rows of feathers on top of the head.

Regards,
Albert

Arjan,

Here are two golok hilts that might, in my opinion, be similar to the hilt of your golok how it looked in its original state.

Regards,
Albert

Hi Albert,

thanks I see indeed some similarity in those hilts.
But at the other point, should there not be a loss of patina when the piece was broken off? And what doesn't seem Javanese too me is the connection hilt-scabbard what has more in common with Banjarese weapons.
Also golok scabbards has mostly a ( also on the pic you listed) scabbardmouth that broader than the scabbard so it can be stucked between the sarong.Also the surface of wich should be broken shows excatly the same patina of the whole handle and the hair is attached very good , no bad drillholes or anything. Or do we have here a javanese golok captured in Borneo and adorned on the Dayak way?

regards,

Arjan.

Hi Arjan,

You indeed would expect there to be a loss of patina when a piece brakes off. On the other hand, if it happened a long time ago and the sword was regularly used afterwards, on a rough surface the difference could disappear.

A scabbardmouth that is smaller than the hilt is not very usual on Java, but it, for instance, does appear on the javanese pedang lurus.

A javanese golok captured in Borneo and adorned on the Dayak way, as you suggest, could be possible but is, I think, a bit of a wild guess.

All the same it is a nice sword!

Regards,
Albert