Straight Parang Nabur or?

LabanTayo · 24th January 2006, 12:50 PM

Are they Chinese? Formosa? Tibet?
Were there pictures of the blade?
They look short and stout.

VVV · 24th January 2006, 01:30 PM

Unfortunately there are no pictures of the blades in the archive.
I don't know anything about Chinese blades but of course there was/are Chinese people living in Borneo. What puzzled me was that there were five of them, collected together with several Parang Nabur, Mandau, Pandat etc?
I think most of them were collected in the south, around Banjarmasin.

Michael

VANDOO · 24th January 2006, 10:48 PM

ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT THEY ARE A VARIATION OF THE CHINESE SWORDS USED FOR TEMPLE OFFERINGS. IT WOULD BE EASY TO TELL IF YOU HAD THE ITEMS IN HAND BUT PICTURES SUCH AS THESE JUST CAN'T GIVE ENOUGH INFO. IF THE POMMEL FINALS ARE THREADED AND JUST A FANCY WINGNUT AND THE BLADES OF POOR QUALITY I WOULD SAY TEMPLE OFFERINGS. THEY ARE OFTEN FANCY LOOKING BUT OF POOR WORKMANSHIP AND NOT FOR USE AS A WEAPON. THEY OFTEN GET SOLD TO TOURISTS AS SOUVINEERS ALSO.
UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CEREMONYS OR WHY THEY ARE OFFERED TO THE TEMPLES BUT HAVE HEARD THE STORYS LOTS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS. I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THEM AND THESE ARE A BIT DIFFERENT SO MIGHT BE A VARIATION MADE IN JUST A CERTIAN AREA, BORNEO PERHAPS FOR THE CHINESE THERE.

Dajak · 25th January 2006, 07:40 PM

a straigth parang nabur can be seen in the book off Zonneveld
this one is in my collection

VVV · 26th January 2006, 09:29 AM

I have asked two experienced dealers in Asian arms about these swords and have recieved their replies.

One of them, Philip Tom, allowed me to quote his response:

"I see no Chinese elements, or even elephants, in these swords. They are indeed most unusual, and their general similarities lead me to believe (as a complete layman if not babe-in-woods regarding Indonesian swords) that they might represent a little known subtype from an obscure tribal group."

The other dealer also confirmed that they didn't look Chinese to him and that he could see resemblence to the Parang Nabur as well as the shape of the pommel reminds him of some of the daggers he has seen from Borneo.

Michael

PS Yes Ben, I know about your "genuine" straight Nabur that once was in Willem's collection. It's very interesting. When I used the term straight Parang Nabur it was more because I think that the Nabur is the closest in looks to these kind of swords (even if they don't have D-guard etc.).

24th January 2006, 12:50 PM	#1
LabanTayo Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kansas City Posts: 177	Are they Chinese? Formosa? Tibet? Were there pictures of the blade? They look short and stout.

24th January 2006, 01:30 PM	#2
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Unfortunately there are no pictures of the blades in the archive. I don't know anything about Chinese blades but of course there was/are Chinese people living in Borneo. What puzzled me was that there were five of them, collected together with several Parang Nabur, Mandau, Pandat etc? I think most of them were collected in the south, around Banjarmasin. Michael

24th January 2006, 10:48 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT THEY ARE A VARIATION OF THE CHINESE SWORDS USED FOR TEMPLE OFFERINGS. IT WOULD BE EASY TO TELL IF YOU HAD THE ITEMS IN HAND BUT PICTURES SUCH AS THESE JUST CAN'T GIVE ENOUGH INFO. IF THE POMMEL FINALS ARE THREADED AND JUST A FANCY WINGNUT AND THE BLADES OF POOR QUALITY I WOULD SAY TEMPLE OFFERINGS. THEY ARE OFTEN FANCY LOOKING BUT OF POOR WORKMANSHIP AND NOT FOR USE AS A WEAPON. THEY OFTEN GET SOLD TO TOURISTS AS SOUVINEERS ALSO. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CEREMONYS OR WHY THEY ARE OFFERED TO THE TEMPLES BUT HAVE HEARD THE STORYS LOTS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS. I HAVE SEEN MANY OF THEM AND THESE ARE A BIT DIFFERENT SO MIGHT BE A VARIATION MADE IN JUST A CERTIAN AREA, BORNEO PERHAPS FOR THE CHINESE THERE.

25th January 2006, 07:40 PM	#4
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	a straigth parang nabur can be seen in the book off Zonneveld this one is in my collection

26th January 2006, 09:29 AM	#5
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	I have asked two experienced dealers in Asian arms about these swords and have recieved their replies. One of them, Philip Tom, allowed me to quote his response: "I see no Chinese elements, or even elephants, in these swords. They are indeed most unusual, and their general similarities lead me to believe (as a complete layman if not babe-in-woods regarding Indonesian swords) that they might represent a little known subtype from an obscure tribal group." The other dealer also confirmed that they didn't look Chinese to him and that he could see resemblence to the Parang Nabur as well as the shape of the pommel reminds him of some of the daggers he has seen from Borneo. Michael PS Yes Ben, I know about your "genuine" straight Nabur that once was in Willem's collection. It's very interesting. When I used the term straight Parang Nabur it was more because I think that the Nabur is the closest in looks to these kind of swords (even if they don't have D-guard etc.).