Weapons of North Sumatra (Volz 1906)

[kai]

Hello Roland,

This are pictures from a german Expedition book through North Sumatra in 1904-1906.

For those preferring a PDF, Arjan has a file for download here .

The 2-volume book "Nord-Sumatra" by Volz (1909/1912) is indeed a very important early source (and well worth thumbing through even if your German language skill is not up to it). One has to realize that some of these cultures were terra incognita and no go areas till the end of the 19th century or even well into the 20th century until the Dutch managed to grasp firm colonial control (soon to be lost to the Japanese and post-WW2 turmoils)!

I believe it could be nice to see some real examples. I start with a Batak Kalasan with Sukul Nganga hilt as a dagger with an old high quality Takablade.

Looks like a neat Karo piece - looking forward to seeing close-ups and, especially, the blade (preferably pre- and post-TLC)!

I believe it will help the exposure of these nice Batak weapons if examples like this are posted and discussed in a dedicated thread for each piece rather than getting lumped into a thread in coffee table book style which makes discussions rather complex and less focused! (The historic figures show pieces from over 7 quite distinct cultures and the area harbors quite a few more...)

Regards,
Kai