Sumatran pedang for comment.

[kai]

Hello Séverin,

Here is my birthday present received a few days ago.

Congrats, that's a neat catch! And my best birthday wishes!

It has some points in common (at the handle) with a pedang of palembang hinterlands posted a few days ago, but the shape of the blade is very different.

I'm fairly sure this it not Rawas since the pommel shape is not matching. Highly carved Rawas hilts look different, too (cp. the attached pic from the other thread ).

The blade is very wide at its base (1,5cm) but especially it has a Kembang Kacang and a very nice pamor that looks like pamor "Udan mas" of keris.

This pedang variant has usually been associated with southern Sumatra, possibly Palembang.

In a recent thread, I believed at least a subset might originate from northern Malaya (Kelantan/Pattani); there seem to be some other leads, too. I'm still researching this topic. BTW, mine example has complex surface-manipulated pamor, too!

There is some remaining red paint at the base of the floral part of the handle.

I reckon the darker grip part wasn't painted (braided wire work partly missing)? Do you have any examples of the typical Palembang lacquer work? How does this painted pommel compare with the former?

Regards,
Kai