Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - The (unintentional) artistry of edged weapons

Ian · Yesterday, 07:33 PM

People of great artistic temperament can find beauty in even the most mundane objects. I'm not a person of artistic temperament, but there is one edged weapon that strikes me as having a fantastic artistic form. I am a great fan of the Moro barung as an object of art, especially those created before 1900 and made of humble steel, wood, and silver.

Here is one such example that I find aesthetically pleasing:

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It is a well preserved sword from the mid-19th C that, for me, shows gracefulness in its various curves. The arched spine of the blade, offset by its belly and curved edge. The slender grip covered in a plain silver punto and capped with the smooth curves of an old style of kakatua pommel. Simple and elegant, but balanced overall, and an ensemble that is most pleasing to the eye.

Beauty does not necessarily mean a lot of bells and whistles, nor exotic or expensive materials. Even simple, highly functional, "plain" weapons can display great skill in their aesthetic design.

What are your favorite weapons as works of art?

A few more pics of this barung:

Yesterday, 07:33 PM	#1
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,579	The (unintentional) artistry of edged weapons People of great artistic temperament can find beauty in even the most mundane objects. I'm not a person of artistic temperament, but there is one edged weapon that strikes me as having a fantastic artistic form. I am a great fan of the Moro barung as an object of art, especially those created before 1900 and made of humble steel, wood, and silver. Here is one such example that I find aesthetically pleasing: It is a well preserved sword from the mid-19th C that, for me, shows gracefulness in its various curves. The arched spine of the blade, offset by its belly and curved edge. The slender grip covered in a plain silver punto and capped with the smooth curves of an old style of kakatua pommel. Simple and elegant, but balanced overall, and an ensemble that is most pleasing to the eye. Beauty does not necessarily mean a lot of bells and whistles, nor exotic or expensive materials. Even simple, highly functional, "plain" weapons can display great skill in their aesthetic design. What are your favorite weapons as works of art? A few more pics of this barung: Attached Images