Description

An interesting gobang sword from the Preanger Highlands, known locally as Parahyangan, the heartland of Sundanese culture. It utilizes an old Dutch V.O.C. blade of the houwer type, a short saber with a single dorsal fuller that was carried by crews aboard ships. The blade is marked with the V.O.C. monogram and A for the Amsterdam chapter, and the year 1769.

The hilt is in the typical style of Preanger swords as popular up to around the mid 19th century; a facetted grip, slightly flaring out and with a bend near the end. It is covered with silver and is tastefully engraved.

The wooden scabbard retains its original mouthpiece but has lots the characteristic widening endpiece which is replaced by a smooth chape, probably in relatively recent times. It was probably once covered with narrow rattan binding, now lost.