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1929.7.31

Sword with elaborately decorated blade and hilt and animal hair decoration attached to the butt. [SM 19/12/2007]

1929.7.31

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Collection type
Object
Description
Sword with elaborately decorated blade and hilt and animal hair decoration attached to the butt. [SM 19/12/2007]
Long description
Sword with elaborately decorated blade and hilt and animal hair decoration attached to the butt. The blade has elaborate incised scrolling decoration and inlaid copper alloy circles on both surfaces. The spine edge also has scrolling perforated decoration. The hilt is made from deer antler and has a projection on one side. It is elaborately carved and has black, brown and cream coloured animal hair decoration. The grip is bound with twisted iron wire. [SM 19/12/2007]
Geographical reference
Malaysia
Asia > South-eastern Asia > Malaysia
Sarawak
Cultural groups
Kayan
Person
Field collector Henry Balfour
PRM source Henry Balfour
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1929
Date collected
By 1929
Acquisition information
Donated: 1929
Materials and processes
Material Iron Metal, Material Deer Antler Animal, Material Animal Hair, Material Copper Alloy Metal, Material Metal Wire, Process Forged (Metal), Process Carved, Process Incised, Process Inlaid, Process Perforated, Process Bound
Dimensions
Width: max 70 mm, Length: max 753 mm excluding hair decoration
Object numbers
Accession number: 1929.7.31
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].

Search terms: Weapon, Tool, Sword, Knife

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