Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 30th May 2012, 02:36 PM   #1
Clubs & Arrows
Member
 
Clubs & Arrows's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Gabriel Foothills, Southern California
Posts: 94
Default Help with Malay Sword I.D.

Hello.
I've had this blade for a while and could never quite figure it's exact origin. I've seen similar shapes to the blade and pommel, but every time I run across a similar handle it has a generic Malaysian or Indonesian origin. If so, is it Borneo? Sumatra? Celebes? In the book Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago on page 72 the Klewang Tebal Hujong looks similar, but I was hoping to get some input from other forumites on this blade. The overall length of this is 2 feet long.

Best,
Joe
Attached Images
         
Clubs & Arrows is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th May 2012, 09:32 PM   #2
Lew
(deceased)
 
Lew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
Default

Hi Joe

It's definately a klewang probably from Sumatra. I had one in my collection it was quite unwieldly and about ten years ago and foolishly sold it. Here is pic of it . Btw the one on the bottom I still have and it handles like dream very lively and quick in the hand.
Attached Images
  

Last edited by Lew; 30th May 2012 at 10:29 PM.
Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th May 2012, 10:17 PM   #3
Clubs & Arrows
Member
 
Clubs & Arrows's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Gabriel Foothills, Southern California
Posts: 94
Default

Lew,
Thanks a lot for the help on this one. I appreciate it.

Best,
Joe
Clubs & Arrows is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th May 2012, 10:58 PM   #4
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,374
Default

Hello Joe,

think as well that it is a klewang from Sumatra but this handle form I have seen already by a klewang from Sumbawa.

Attached a picture from this one and from a klewang from Sumatra.

Regards,

Detlef
Attached Images
  
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 06:42 AM   #5
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

This one is not from Sumbawa nor from Sumatra.

It's a banjar klewang from South Borneo.
Also the red paint is typical for this region, and original and not painted later on it.

Maurice

Last edited by Maurice; 31st May 2012 at 06:57 AM.
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 06:56 AM   #6
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

Here some images of the one I once had some years ago.
Attached Images
   
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 08:25 AM   #7
Gavin Nugent
Member
 
Gavin Nugent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,818
Default

Interesting piece, it shows the typical forging pattern seen in many swords from Suawesi.
Those more learned will be able to explain who influenced who with the manufacture of that pattern within the blade.

Gav
Gavin Nugent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 11:09 AM   #8
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by freebooter
Interesting piece, it shows the typical forging pattern seen in many swords from Suawesi.
Those more learned will be able to explain who influenced who with the manufacture of that pattern within the blade.

Gav
Hi Gav,

This wasn't a dayak weapon.
The Banjar klewang was in use by the Malay/Javanese/Sumatran/etc., who were traders around Banjarmasin and the estuary.
A bit further upriver you find the cultivated Moslim converted dayaks (who mixed up with the Malay/Javanese and other people who lived or wandered in the South, trying to earn a living by trading stuff) , and more further upriver the dayaktribes appear.....
The non-dayaks did the forging of this klewang from Banjar.

Maurice
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 12:14 PM   #9
asomotif
Member
 
asomotif's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,216
Default

Pfew, I was already hoping that someone would step in and correct this thread. I already searched for other threads on the forum mentioning this malay/borneo style, but could not find them.

Maurice,
I remember that you have old plate(s) with various banjar weapons, or was that once posted by Arjan ? again, tried the search function yesterday but sometimes there are just too many threads on this forum. maybe we should introduce a separate Borneo forum.
asomotif is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 01:25 PM   #10
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by asomotif
Maurice,
I remember that you have old plate(s) with various banjar weapons, or was that once posted by Arjan ? again, tried the search function yesterday but sometimes there are just too many threads on this forum. maybe we should introduce a separate Borneo forum.
Willem, I think you mean this image from Schwaner.
Attached Images
 
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 01:38 PM   #11
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

According Schmeltz it's called a "parang kerekoepang".
Attached Images
 
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 04:50 PM   #12
Clubs & Arrows
Member
 
Clubs & Arrows's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Gabriel Foothills, Southern California
Posts: 94
Default

Maurice, Asmotif, Sajen, Gav,
Thank you very much for the updates about the blade. The pictures certainly helped. Again thanks for the help.

Best regards,
Joe
Clubs & Arrows is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 06:52 PM   #13
Maurice
Member
 
Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,324
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lew
Hi Joe

It's definately a klewang probably from Sumatra. I had one in my collection it was quite unwieldly and about ten years ago and foolishly sold it. Here is pic of it . Btw the one on the bottom I still have and it handles like dream very lively and quick in the hand.
BTW Lew, the upper one with painted scabbard is a Sumatran pedang.
The one you still have, the lower one is indeed a klewang from Banjar..

Maurice
Maurice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 09:01 PM   #14
asomotif
Member
 
asomotif's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 2,216
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice
According Schmeltz it's called a "parang kerekoepang".
That is the plate I meant. with the parang nabur and all the other malay/borneo weapons.

Thanks !

Best regards,
Willem
asomotif is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31st May 2012, 11:42 PM   #15
Lew
(deceased)
 
Lew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice
BTW Lew, the upper one with painted scabbard is a Sumatran pedang.
The one you still have, the lower one is indeed a klewang from Banjar..

Maurice
Maurice

The pictures are reversed the one with the painted scabbard is still with me the other was sold some years back.

Last edited by Lew; 1st June 2012 at 01:29 AM.
Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:14 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.