Description:

A CEREMONIAL DAGGER ''SEWAR''
Indonesia, North-Sumatra, Aceh, 19th c.
L. 37,5 cm
Outstanding dagger sewar in the mixed style of Minangkabau and Aceh, with a large hemispherical handle in puntung form, sometimes also called tombok ("pestle"), made of patinated maritime ivory. Scabbard lined with florally punched and embossed silver plate with a box-like widened mouthpiece that allows comfortable carrying in the waist belt. The handle base sits in a heavy metal mount with a stepped border, as known from rencong daggers with hulu peucangge (hulu: handle). The neck of the handle is covered with a silver-copper alloy (suassa). Large, opulent sewar like this one were used as gifts or morning offerings between clans and were prestigious objects for the Acehnese nobility, who maintained good relations with the Muslim Sunni Minangkabau (among whom this type of weapon is particularly common). Sewar and rencong were (in contrast to keris) also worn by women (the Minangkabau of Padang are matrilineal, succession and kinship are calculated through the mother line). The sewar is very common in the central and northern part of Sumatra and is still in use today as a "last resort" weapon and everyday knife. It probably goes back to Greek-Indian dagger knives and sword forms from the kopis family, which are documented in India in the reliefs of Ayanta up to the middle of the first millennium. Like the related rencong, the sewar always has a slightly inwardly curved back blade, which is single-edged and usually very sharp. The blade narrows from the hilt to the point and tapers to a point. The blade has a slight relief and pitted edge (beuneung si urat), which is rounded here. The sewar has a similar metaphysical meaning to the kris / keris. In Minangkabau and Aceh, there were professional sewar fighters who carried out blood feuds and murder in the form of duels, similar to those in Corsica. The Minangkabau ("literally "many buffaloes"; a reference to their great wealth) were respected throughout the archipelago as fighters of great courage who could never be dominated by colonialists.
From an old German private collection, assembled since the 1950s - The EU trade certificate for the sale of this lot is available - Minor traces of age

Lit.: D. F. Draeger (1992): Weapons and fighting arts of Indonesia., Rutland VT - A. G. van Zonneveld (2001): Traditional weapons of the Indonesian archipelago. Leiden

Zeremonial-Dolchmesser ''sewar''
Indonesien, Nord-Sumatra, Aceh, 19. Jh.
L. 37,5 cm
Herausragender Dolch sewar im Misch-Stil von Minangkabau und Aceh, mit großem halbkugeligem Griff in puntung-Form, die manchmal auch tombok („Stössel“), genannt wird, aus patiniertem maritimen Elfenbein (CITES-zertifiziert). Mit floral punziertem und getriebenem Silberblech verkleidete Scheide mit kastenartig verbreitetem Mundstück, das ein bequemes Tragen im Leibgurt erlaubt. Die Griffbasis sitzt in einer schweren Metallfassung mit gestufter Bordüre, wie man sie von rencong-Dolchen mit hulu peucangge kennt (hulu: Griff). Der Griffhals ist mit einer Silber-Kupfer-Legierung (suassa) verkleidet. Große, opulente sewar wie dieser dienten als Geschenk oder Morgengabe zwischen Clans und waren Prestigeobjekt des acehnesischen Adels, der mit den muslimisch-sunnitischen Minangkabau (bei denen diese Waffenform besonders verbreitet ist) gute Beziehungen unterhielt. Sewar und rencong wurden (im Gegensatz zum Keris) auch von Frauen getragen (die Minangkabau von Padang sind mutterrechtlich, Erbfolge und Verwandtschaft rechnet sich über die Mutterlinie). Der sewar ist im mittleren und nördlichen Teil Sumatras Teil sehr verbreitet und ist noch heute als „last-ressort“-Waffe und alltägliches Messer im Gebrauch. Er geht wahrscheinlich auf griechisch-indische Dolchmesser- und Schwertformen aus der kopis-Familie zurück, die in Indien in den Reliefs von Ayanta bis ins mittlere erste Jahrtausend nachgewiesen sind. Der ''sewar''hat wie der verwandte '

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