Indonesian sword?

[A. G. Maisey]

Albert, I have already stated that this sort of thing is out of my area of interest. On the other hand , it is absolutely within your area of interest.

On this matter, you undoubtedly understand more than I do.

Additionally, my guess at "Sumatera" was based upon 3 or perhaps 4 examples of similar swords that were in the hands of finders (runners, wholesale dealers)whom I had met in Solo & Bali, it was separate professional trade dealers who provided the "Sumatera" ID. These people were not natives of either Solo or Bali, but people whose job it was to search S.E. Asia and then sell to retail dealers.

So this present post is not an invitation to enter debate, all I wish to do is to state what I believe I can see. My guess has a qualifier, ie, "similar", meaning not quite the same, but having a broad, overall character that is almost the same.

There are two characteristics of Jeff's sword that are similar to characteristics of the swords that I have seen and that were identified as having a Sumatera origin, those two characteristics are the stylized ancestor head, forward canted pommel, and the blade form. As you yourself have commented, the blade form of both these swords bears similarities to other swords spread across a wide area.

Now, if i compare the picture of the sword of Nias origin that has been reproduced from your book, with Jeff's sword, I can again see a similar stylized ancestor head pommel, & both swords are similar to this characteristic in the swords I have previously seen.

The blades of the Nias sword & Jeff's sword are not really so close in similarity, but this difference could be due to repeated sharpening of Jeff's sword:- the Nias sword is forward weighted, other than this variation, I would consider both blades quite similar.

Another similarity between Jeff's sword, the Nias sword and the swords I have previously seen is scabbard design & construction.

I have no field experience in Sumatera, thus, based upon my own direct experience I am unable to identify origin of any of the swords I have mentioned, but using only visual comparison with photos on a computer screen & the information gained from professionals in this field of antique S.E. Asian edged weapons I do believe I can see sufficient similarity in the mentioned examples to to take a tentative guess at origin.