Spear, Sumatra or Java?

[kai]

Thanks for your comments,Alan!

This landeyan has some rotan wrapping, so maybe it is not of European manufacture, but rather it is a landeyan from a different source that has been married to this brongsong and then fitted to the tombak.

The spiral landeyan is carved (rather than wrapped rattan) according to Tim. This is an unusual feature.

OTOH, I have seen several apparently genuine landeyan that exhibited the distinct swelling near the butt end (possibly covered by a tunjung originally?); maybe this feature could help to narrow down its origin?

Regards,
Kai

[A. G. Maisey]

I didn't pick that up Kai, but if it is carved that would in my opinion militate even more strongly against a Surakarta source. Bear in mind, I'm only saying what I believe it cannot be, I'm not floating an opinion with no foundation as to what it could be.

I've seen that swell at the butt of a spear shaft too, but never on a landeyan that I knew to originate in Central Jawa.

Normally when a tunjung is fitted to a Javanese shaft there is a very slight recess in the wood of the shaft to accomodate the thickness of the metal from which the tunjung is made, the tunjung does not stand proud of shaft.

[kai]

Thanks, Alan!