Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

CharlesS · 23rd January 2009, 03:39 PM

I'd like to make one comment on Jim's excellent observations, that is, in regards to the tulwar not travelling out of the Indian subcontinent.

I think the piso podang of Sumatra, primarily, but also seen in other regions, including Borneo, is very heavily influenced by the tulwar, or at the very least the earlier more archaic Indian hilts. There are some good old examples in Elgood's latest work that match up nicely to the piso podang form. In most cases the piso podang is shorter than the average tulwar and that is an adaptation, but otherwise, I think, clearly influenced by the "travelling tulwar".

23rd January 2009, 03:39 PM	#13
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,854	I'd like to make one comment on Jim's excellent observations, that is, in regards to the tulwar not travelling out of the Indian subcontinent. I think the piso podang of Sumatra, primarily, but also seen in other regions, including Borneo, is very heavily influenced by the tulwar, or at the very least the earlier more archaic Indian hilts. There are some good old examples in Elgood's latest work that match up nicely to the *piso podang* form. In most cases the piso podang is shorter than the average tulwar and that is an adaptation, but otherwise, I think, clearly influenced by the "travelling tulwar".