Sinhala / Sri Lankan Swords?

[VANDOO]

DANGER CONJECTURE AHEAD. THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR WAS PRESENT IN SPAIN FOR TWO YEARS SO PERHAPS A SWORD COULD HAVE BEEN SPECIALY COMISSIONED AND MADE. HE MAY HAVE SEEN THE VARIOUS SWORDS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES PRESENT IN SPAINS MUSEUMS. THOSE ACCOMPANING HIM WOULD HAVE REPORTED TO THE KING ANYTHING HE FOUND MOST INTERESTING AND COMENTED ON. THE LAW AGAINST GIVING SPANISH ARMS TO A FORIGNER MAY HAVE BEEN BYPASSED BY HAVING A SWORD COMISSIONED ESPECIALLY FOR THE AMBASSADOR INCORPORATING THE FEATURES AND TYPES HE MOST ADMIRED WHEN LOOKING AT THE EXAMPLES IN SPANISH COLLECTIONS.
THE CARVING ON THE BACK OF THE BLADE AS WELL AS ITS FORM DOES NOT RESEMBLE A SIRI LANKAN KASTANE BLADE IT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE SPANISH BLADE SHAPE. THE DRAGON OR MONSTER CARVED INTO THE BLADE LOOKS MORE LIKE WHAT IS SEEN ON CHINESE OR OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES POLE ARM BLADES. THE HANDLE IS CLOSE TO THE KASTANE FORM BUT A BIT DIFFERENT. THERE DOSENT SEEM TO BE A SCABBARD FOR THE SWORD AND THE ONE IN THE PAINTING HAS A SCABBARD LOOKING MORE LIKE A LEATHER EUROPEAN FORM THAN ONE FROM CEYLON. MOST KASTANE DO NOT HAVE A SCABBARD AS THEY ARE USUALLY MADE OF THIN WOOD AND ARE VERY FRAGILE. THE SILVER ONES HOLD UP BETTER BUT ARE OFTEN MISSING AS WELL. IF THERE WAS A KASTANE PRESENT IN THE COLLECTIONS IN SPAIN PERHAPS ITS SCABBARD WAS MISSING AS WELL.
WHAT WOULD PROVIDE SOME GOOD INFORMATION AND NOT JUST CONJECTURE WOULD BE TO HAVE SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH FORGED BLADES FROM SPAIN LOOK AT THE SWORD AS WELL AS SOMEONE EXPERT IN SIRI LANKAN WORKMANSHIP. UNTIL THEN WE MUST DIG AND SPECULATE AND PERHAPS HIT ON SOME FACTS ALONG THE WAY .
I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF A BLADE WITH A CARVED MONSTER BUT INCLUDE TWO CHINESE BLADES A POLE ARM BLADE AND A SWORD.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

DANGER CONJECTURE AHEAD. THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR WAS PRESENT IN SPAIN FOR TWO YEARS SO PERHAPS A SWORD COULD HAVE BEEN SPECIALY COMISSIONED AND MADE. HE MAY HAVE SEEN THE VARIOUS SWORDS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES PRESENT IN SPAINS MUSEUMS. THOSE ACCOMPANING HIM WOULD HAVE REPORTED TO THE KING ANYTHING HE FOUND MOST INTERESTING AND COMENTED ON. THE LAW AGAINST GIVING SPANISH ARMS TO A FORIGNER MAY HAVE BEEN BYPASSED BY HAVING A SWORD COMISSIONED ESPECIALLY FOR THE AMBASSADOR INCORPORATING THE FEATURES AND TYPES HE MOST ADMIRED WHEN LOOKING AT THE EXAMPLES IN SPANISH COLLECTIONS.
THE CARVING ON THE BACK OF THE BLADE AS WELL AS ITS FORM DOES NOT RESEMBLE A SIRI LANKAN KASTANE BLADE IT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE SPANISH BLADE SHAPE. THE DRAGON OR MONSTER CARVED INTO THE BLADE LOOKS MORE LIKE WHAT IS SEEN ON CHINESE OR OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES POLE ARM BLADES. THE HANDLE IS CLOSE TO THE KASTANE FORM BUT A BIT DIFFERENT.

Salaams Vandoo... Like Hasekura and the Pacific our posts crossed... Yes I dont give a lot of weight to the illegality of the weapon since he was given a European name on Baptism and later even made a Roman citizen...and since he was gifted it by the King himself I dont really think it was a problem. I do agree that more weight to a Spanish weapon would be plausible and I note your point on the hilt as well as the blade fullers and odd monster.
Thank you for your post.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Jim McDougall]

Pics from Boccia & Coelho ("Armi Bianche Italiene", 1975, #516-519), this is an Italian sword presented to Philip III of Spain by Carlo Emanuel I of Savoy (1562-1630) apparently in 1603.

Worthy of note, the lionhead, and the 'monster head' on the scabbard tip.
While the blade is more of a narrow type with yelman rather than the form on the Hasekura example, these other features are interesting in considering influences present in Spain prior to the mission's arrival.

[Jim McDougall]

This is a falchion stated German from Stone (1934, p.224, #276) and stated 15th century. There is little information in text in Stone on this sword, its reference is shown as "A Cyclopedia of Costume or Dictionary of Dress" (James R. Planche, N.Y. 1877).

Please note the pronounced peak on this example, resembling this notable feature on the Hasekura sword. While the German provenance is of course distracting from our focus on Spain, and Italy, it is important to note that going through Calvert (1907, "Spanish Arms & Armour") there are profusely examples of German armour supplied to Spanish nobles and monarchs.
Armourers were typically actually 'brokers' and assembled harness components from many subcontracted artisans. With this they often furnished swords in many cases.

The 15th century classification is of course considerably earlier than the period we are discussing, but these blade profiles remained prevalent for many generations, even centuries with tradition bound Spain .

[Jim McDougall]

Another grouping of stortas from Boccia & Coelho (upper left #509) is from Venice c.1600.

(upper right, #543, #544) are both from Naples c. 1600-10

below #386, 387, 388 are from Venice c 1550, note the recurved crossguards reflecting basic form of developing hit system, also the human and lionheads.

* The late Tony North in his "Late 15th Century Italian Sword" (Connoisseur, 1975) notes the developed hilt system similar to nimcha of North Africa and of course kastane probably developed from this type sword hilt, citing Charles Buttin with concurring views.

Quite interesting is the sketch of a zoomorphic head in carved ivory from Italy (#389) dating from c1554. Of note, the deeply channeled fullers cf. those seen in the Hasekura kastane. Again, there are many Italian swords with these deeply channeled fullers, often in elaborate sectioning.

[Jim McDougall]

At last! I finally completed my three posts with images, posts #249, 250 and 251. Due to scanner issues I enlisted the help of my wife (my tech support) to use her phone to take these, so sorry for the drawn out grouping.

#249: Images of the Philip III sword from c1603, where this sword is in the Royal Armouries of Madrid as catalogued by Calvert in 1907. It is illustrated in "Armi Bianchi Italiene" (1975, opcit. and text on p.390).

What interesting here is the lionhead on this sword (of European form of course) and most notably the monster head on the scabbard tip .

It would seem that the use of figure heads was in place in Italy, and possibly elsewhere in Europe by mid 16th century, and as seen here, this and the 'monster' head were already featured on swords in Spain prior to the Hasekura mission.

If indeed the blade was produced in Spain placing this type of monster head on the peak of the blade, and spurious markings (as often placed) were added, could the second marking be a European attempt at Japanese characters?
I think we can rule out China as a place for blade provenance, and as seen, the Philippine possibility is out. Oriental influences seem quite present by the time of this sword c.1603.

The other images are pretty much explained in each post.

I want to note that these images and data are from the books referenced and photos using phone as noted.



***** Note: Apparantly there is conflict in whether the kastane and keris were acquired by Hasekura in Madrid at audience with Philip III.....or in another account which suggests these were obtained in Philippines -on behalf of Philip III ? Naturally confirmation of which is important in the consideration of these comparative examples.

[Prasanna Weerakkody]

Dear KukulzA

I am including a few references regarding a basic timeline of Sri Lankan swords primarily from the publication “Ancient Swords Daggers & Knives in the Sri Lankan museums” by P.H.D.H.De Silva and S. Wickramasinghe (2006)

You are correct that the Kasthana and the D guard swords are the last common forms of the Sinhala swords. The earliest swords where evidence survive from the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms going back more than 2000 bp. were mostly down curved swords and straight long double edged blades. There are many forms of short curved and Gladius type weapons illustrated but with little surviving artifacts. the early types are always simple and in-ornate. the transformation of ornate arms (in general) is possibly in the Gampola or Dambadeni kingdom era and couple of centuries prior to the arrival of the portuguese. the massive destruction wrought on by the portuguese destroyed most of the incidental evidence that would have assisted in constructing a proper timeline.

Vandoo the proper spelling is Sri Lanka and not SIRI Lanka

Regards
Prasanna