- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Sword with grooved blade and carved hilt. The hilt is inlaid with ?shell also has a dyed hair decoration. [SM 19/12/2007]
- Long description
- Sword with grooved blade and carved hilt. The hilt is inlaid with ?shell also has a dyed hair decoration. The blade is expanded and slightly curved along its length, before tapering to a pointed tip. The hilt is made from deer antler and has a projection on one side. It is elaborately carved and has black, white and red animal hair decoration. It is also inlaid with pearlescent ?shell. The grip is bound with twisted wire. [SM 19/12/2007]
- Geographical reference
- Cultural groups
- Kayan
- Date / Period
- Date made: Before 1927
- Date collected
- By 1927
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 1927
- Materials and processes
- Material Iron Metal, Material Deer Antler Animal, Material Animal Hair, Material Copper Alloy Metal, Material Pigment, Material Shell, Process Forged (Metal), Process Carved, Process Grooved, Process Inlaid, Process Perforated, Process Bound
- Dimensions
- Width: max 97 mm, Length: max 731 mm excluding hair decoration
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1927.54.2
- Research and responses
Parang is a term used among the Malay and Iban to indicate any sword, although these weapons were used (like the kukri and Naga dao) for agricultural and arboricultural purposes as well. Parang ilang is an Iban term for these swords, which have other names among other peoples. The parang is worn blade-upwards on the left hip, in the Japanese fashion, and offers considerable artistic interest. In use, the distinctive blade is quite unique. It has a curvature across the width of the blade, as well as the length, which is found by the Borneans to permit a deeper cut. These swords are the counterpart to the beautiful Kayan and Kenyah shields, and the baju empurau war-jackets. One begins to get a true sense of the rich self-presentation of the Kayan and Kenyah warrior when one puts these items together into the appropriate complex of objects. The back of the blade is often fretted and hooked, or decorated with incised motifs, somewhat after the fashion of the keris. These designs allude to various serpent or dragon forms, again, much like the keris. Research Conducted for DCF Cutting Edge 2006/2007 [AM].
1927.54.2
Sword with grooved blade and carved hilt. The hilt is inlaid with ?shell also has a dyed hair decoration. [SM 19/12/2007]
1927.54.2
Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
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