Mystery Old Style Central Sulawesi Penai(?)

[kai]

Hello Michael,

As usual the hilts of the old swords never exactly match the reference examples. So I was more looking for match in motif (crocodile), design features like the pierced protrusion and the overall shape of the handle, blade form, scabbard form (combined with blade) etc.

I do see the similarities and believe that all these belong to the same lineage.

However, your piece's hilt is unique in the far more widely opened mouth, missing scales, and indistinct ferrule/guard. Also the scabbard has different details than that shown in Grubauer like the tip as well as the opening: the latter is narrowing to meet the hilt (remotely similar to a Mandau scabbard) rather than recessed (like in many Badik).

In the light of these differences, I don't think that your piece is so much older that it's likely to be a direct ancestor of the published examples. However, considering the rugged terrain on Sulawesi, I wouldn't be surprised if yours is from a separate tribe somewhere else in (central?) Sulawesi.

Regards,
Kai