A Borneo Oddity

[Maurice]

Charles, does your blade show signs of broken krowits at the base just behind the shoulder where the edge begins?

[G. McCormack]

Very graceful Charles, cheers on a lovely blade.

[Lew]

Hey Charles

Found this link to a working type Borneo parang with a similar blade style.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=Borneo

[Indianajones]

Hi, I have included some pics of the two types of Sarawak blades that the sword resembles. Interesting enough these two; Murut-tribe (curved sword) are located at the top North of Sarawak or actually North-Borneo and the Bidayuh (also called Land-Dayak) tribe located at the oposite South Western corner of Sarawak!
Inbetween is the famous Iban-tribe located which usually use this type of curved blade of Charles' sword.
> I do understand Maurice as the brass fitting of the grip is most seen on Murut swords <pictured below with curved blade n two pronged grip>.
> Though as visible on the first picture (borrowed from Dajak-forumite Dajak) the Bidayuh parang latok also have similar grip fittings and the form of the handle resembles more Charles' sword grip, to my opinion.

And now we wait til someone finds a similar example with the right origins noted; anyone scanned any museumcollections?

Curious what the outcome is . . . .

[VVV]

I don't think we will find anything like it in any museum collections, it's one of a kind.
The blade for sure is Iban and resembling a jimpul without (or with a lost crowit). The hilt is more tricky.
I don't think it is close to any of the Bidayuh hilts, but maybe it could be a bit related with the Murut sangkit,
as Maurice suggested (not the pakayun that Indy enclosed). Below are two examples as references.
But still it's not 100 %.
My guess is that, if not Murut, it is a coastal Malay Makara inspired handle.
Maybe a cross cultural combination of an Iban who became Muslim and shifted his handle?

Michael

[Maurice]

Hi,

With Murut handle I didn't refer to the pakayun (the one with the two pronged grip).
Besides this so called pakayun they also had the rare parang sangkit. A grip can be found in W. Heins work (I attached an image of the drawing of the sangkit handle).

The problem is that the handles aren't all carved the same, but the shape is still visible. Look at for instance to the image of a pakayun I have in my collection which I attached at the bottom of the row.. It's definately a pakayun, but carved very different as a general pakayun.

I added also some photo's of sangkit handles to show the similarity which I meant to describe in my earlier post. The upper one is Charles's, the second one, and the third one was from Ben (Dajak on the forum).

Kind Regards,
Maurice

[Indianajones]

For good comparisson I have posted Charles' swordhandle n the Bidayuh parang latok handles next to eachother in the same position; am I the only one who sees the same build/character of the handles here??

Another detail - as I have been to Northern Sarawak myself I have seen that near the (beginning of) the Baramriver the different shaped parang 'nyabur' is/was mostly used (and not the 'jimpul'), which ends in a point.

Besides; it is always a very good sign to see a very thick blade (near grip) as yours' Charles; I would estimate it therefore before 1900, perhaps as early as 1850.

Dayak-collectors . . . .??

[Indianajones]

Wow great results!; isnt this what these forums are about!
Kind regards, Wouter

[VVV]

Maurice, a very good suggestion with the old kind of floral Murut handle that you enclosed.
It's actually hanging on my wall but I didn't think of it based on its more pakayun like brass grip.

Michael

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Indianajones

Wow great results!; isnt this what these forums are about!
Kind regards, Wouter

Great results huh Wouter!
But..... what are these forums all about? To learn from collectors and than sew them one ear? (een oor aannaaien?)

It's a shame some of my foreign friendcollectors have been swindled by you Wouter!!

Sorry Charles for messing up your interesting thread!