VOC BLADES: A comprehensive look

asomotif · 27th February 2014, 12:17 PM

I owned a javanese pedang with a VOC blade a few(4?)years ago.
I found the pictures again, unfortunately not very good pictures.
But they give once more an impression of the blade form.

At that time I also sent these pictures to the dutch Army museum, and the curator confirmed that this was very likely an original VOC blade used for a javanese pedang.
To be sure he had to see the blade in hands, but I did not make the trip to the museum.
To stick with Alan's story. The pedang cost me about 1,5 days pay.
(I am pretty normal working class btw)
And when I sold it shortly after I did not make a noticable profit :-)

best regards,
Willem

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 27th February 2014, 01:32 PM

Salaams All~ I think the size and scope of the VOC operation was colosal ... This was a huge trading block not only in terms of transporting goods internationally by sea but as Ship Builders and Fortress Constructors it was mindblowing !! They arrived in Batavia (Jakarta) and built this...

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 27th February 2014, 01:34 PM

Their operation was huge ... backed by an in built militia and private navy...

Maurice · 27th February 2014, 04:39 PM

Thank you Willem for posting your Javanese pedang.
Most of the Indonesian swords with the VOC mark in the blade seems to be from Java.
As the Dutch were very dominant in their present overhere (we all have heard about Batavia, even some of you don't know what it exactly was) it can't be a coincedence to encounter most of the VOC blades overhere.

@ Jim and Alan: Yes the bad old days...when people could count on their pension still....

Maurice

erikscollectables · 27th February 2014, 04:55 PM

Last week I spoke with an older collector who mentioned most keris were around 200 guilders in the Netherlands in the late 70s to early 80s - that is more than you will have to pay today for a "simple" keris. So looking back they were more expensive in that period as well. Maybe internet has brought relative prices down?

Anyway we should stay on topic - VOC blades

Maurice · 28th February 2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikscollectables

Anyway we should stay on topic - VOC blades

Good idea Erik!

Here three swords with VOC dated blades in the Tropenmuseum collection of Amsterdam.
Two Timor swords, and one Batak sword.
One Timor sword came in the collection in 1887, and I think we can assume the other two also around that time as it's coming out of the same collection of the "Koninklijk Zoologisch Genootschap Natura Artis Magistra".

The VOC stamps, are all three marked with the "A" from the Amsterdam chamber, dated 1749, 1768 and 1786.

Maurice

Maurice · 28th February 2014, 02:47 PM

And a Borneo lance, donated by Herman Celosse to the Bronbeek museum Arnhem in 2012.

27th February 2014, 12:17 PM	#1
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,235	I owned a javanese pedang with a VOC blade a few(4?)years ago. I found the pictures again, unfortunately not very good pictures. But they give once more an impression of the blade form. At that time I also sent these pictures to the dutch Army museum, and the curator confirmed that this was very likely an original VOC blade used for a javanese pedang. To be sure he had to see the blade in hands, but I did not make the trip to the museum. To stick with Alan's story. The pedang cost me about 1,5 days pay. (I am pretty normal working class btw) And when I sold it shortly after I did not make a noticable profit :-) best regards, Willem Attached Images

27th February 2014, 01:32 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Salaams All~ I think the size and scope of the VOC operation was colosal ... This was a huge trading block not only in terms of transporting goods internationally by sea but as Ship Builders and Fortress Constructors it was mindblowing !! They arrived in Batavia (Jakarta) and built this... Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 28th February 2014 at 06:17 AM.

27th February 2014, 01:34 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Their operation was huge ... backed by an in built militia and private navy... Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 28th February 2014 at 06:17 AM.

28th February 2014, 02:47 PM	#7
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,453	And a Borneo lance, donated by Herman Celosse to the Bronbeek museum Arnhem in 2012. Attached Images

27th February 2014, 04:39 PM	#4
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,453	Thank you Willem for posting your Javanese pedang. Most of the Indonesian swords with the VOC mark in the blade seems to be from Java. As the Dutch were very dominant in their present overhere (we all have heard about Batavia, even some of you don't know what it exactly was) it can't be a coincedence to encounter most of the VOC blades overhere. @ Jim and Alan: Yes the bad old days...when people could count on their pension still.... Maurice

27th February 2014, 04:55 PM	#5
erikscollectables Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 318	Last week I spoke with an older collector who mentioned most keris were around 200 guilders in the Netherlands in the late 70s to early 80s - that is more than you will have to pay today for a "simple" keris. So looking back they were more expensive in that period as well. Maybe internet has brought relative prices down? Anyway we should stay on topic - VOC blades