Correctly Identifying a Borneo Sword

[CharlesS]

Albert you have great eyes....that surely does look like a korambi!

[VVV]

Quite unusual, indeed.
However, if it is a korambi then it is an additional indicator of a later date of the hilt.

Michael

[Maurice]

Yes Albert,

looks like a korambi indeed.
However I think it's a coincedence that it's looking like a korambi, as there are more like these leeches (kind of curls with this little hole) made as decoration for the handle.
And which you're pointing out is the only one that happens to look like a korambi...

Maurice

[Battara]

I have seen these with leeches - what is the significance behind the usage of leeches?

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Battara

I have seen these with leeches - what is the significance behind the usage of leeches?

Very hard to say.
Sometimes we can see one ore more faces in a handle, of which the "leeches" representatives the limbs. (Though the limbs more often are represented with "bow's").
Between these "clear" figures the carver used other motifs to "fill the gaps" with no specific representation.
I have the feeling most of the leeches have no significant meaning in general.
Often the representation of the figures, mouth's, eyes, ears, limbs (etc.) are carved so stylistical, that's hard to find out what representatives what (in between other "no representative filled out gaps carvings"), an also these stylistical limbs could be looking like "leeches".

In Charles handle I can't tell what the "leeches" representatives unfortunately because of it's stylistic representation.

Maurice

[Maurice]

Text about the "leeches" used by the Bahau tribes by Anton Willem Nieuwenhuis, found "in Central Borneo II" page 364.


A motif, to fill up the empty gaps, is used largly in their swordhandles and - scabbards by the Bahaus, who call these "leeches".

These leeches are perfect for the dajak to use filling these empty gaps, without harming the resemblence with the nature too much...

Maurice