A Good Malay Sundang With One Piece Carved Horn Hilt

[Emanuel]

Originally Posted by David

I'm sorry Emanuel, but simply by method of direct examination i find this difficult to accept. I am willing to accept that resin materials can work in many instances to suitably secure a blade to a hilt, but the construction of the asang-asang is most certainly a fully functional one, meant to be strong and secure. I personally find it hard to believe that it's only function was a spiritual one. If it's only purpose was to hold the gangya in place there would be no reason for the strap that runs up the side of the hilt that effectively holds the blade to the hilt. If it's purpose was merely symbolic the robust nature of the clamping system would be unnecessary.

Hi David,

I disagree with you, based on the following observations, and also by virtue of direct examination

The majority of all other weapons in the geographic and temporal context of the Moro and Malay kris/sundangs do not have a similar clamping system. This alone suggests that such a system was unnecessary from a structural consideration. Natural resin or pitch was sufficient. A culture that could extract and smelt iron, process steel and forge-weld complex steel objects could extract and render such resins.

The examples with clamps inside the hilt demonstrate the function of the resin as primary binding mechanism. The tang and clamp are held securely inside the hilt by the resin. The examples with clamps running along the side of the hilt demonstrate that the clamp is not the primary binding mechanism. The clamp itself is made by folding thin strips of metal and then wrapping against the handle. Yes it does seem robust but eventually it can unravel very easily.

Why the clamps were added to these weapons when they were adopted and modified from the keris exemplar, as it appears to have been the case, I do not know. Others have suggested a cultural/spiritual use in keeping with similar beliefs in that geographic and temporal context so I can accept that. One might look at other early objects from the Moro culture to see if a clamping system was previously used to lock some spiritual aspect into it.

The one thing I see is that a clamp was not structurally necessary for such a weapon. If anything, it is the hilt that holds the clamp on the blade, not the clamp that holds the hilt on the blade.


All the best,
Emanuel