Beschreibung:

Sword "pedang", "pedang sabet"
Indonesia, Sumatra South, Palembang area, early 19th century
L. 89 cm
An unusual example of a sword typical and endemic to the Palembang region and empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. A long, straight, and very elastic blade of European (possibly Indian) origin, single-edged, with a fuller, and made of very high-quality steel. The blade dates from the 18th century or even earlier (possibly up to the 16th century) and probably comes from Italy or Germany. Such blades were highly prized in India and Southeast Asia and mounted in native mounts. The ivory handle depicts a stylized makkara (sea monster) from the Puranic epics. In Muslim times, the motif (as clearly seen here) became a purely vegetal decorative element; the element of the monster's head with its open jaws fades into the background. The design is originally South Indian-Sinhalese and may date back to the Chola dynasty (10th and 11th centuries), when India was also expanding militarily into the archipelago. It features a long, chased and granulated silver alloy mount with a thickened and widened base. The weapon lies perfectly in the hand. The animal head essentially illustrates the inherent demonic nature of the weapon, but also points to the object's socio-cultural significance, as ritual sacrificial cycles, among other things, underlie the significance of these weapons. The animal creature indicated by the pommel is merely the addressee (e.g., as an aquatic primordial being or totem animal), but not the motivator of the sacrifice; this is rooted in the accompaniment of the dead and the repetition of cycles of renewal. Red lacquered wooden scabbard, paint probably applied in the 20th century.
From an old German private collection, collected since the 1950s - The EU sales licence for this lot is available - This lot cannot be exported out of the European Union

Palembang has an ancient history. The word comes from Malay pa and lembang. Pa or pe is a prefix referring to a place or situation, while lembang or lembeng means "waterlogged" or "wet" (referring to the alluvial plain of the Musi River). Thus, Palembang means "land always covered with water (or permanently wet)." Sanskrit inscriptions and Chinese travelogues attest that Shrivijaya/Palembang held the hegemonic position in the Strait of Malacca from the 7th to the 13th century, serving as a trading hub between India and China. In the late 13th century, Kertanagara of Singgasari in East Java annexed the empire. In 1642, the VOC gained a monopoly over the pepper trade, which must have been a thorn in the side of the local elite. In 1657, local princes attacked a VOC ship, which provided a welcome pretext for largely destroying the city as part of a "punitive expedition" in 1659. Palembang was involved as a theater of European interests in the Napoleonic Wars and the conflicts between Holland and England. The sword is likely linked to these events

Schwert "pedang", "pedang sabet"
Indonesien, Sumatra Süd-, Gebiet von Palembang, frühes 19. Jh.
L. 89 cm
Ungewöhnliches Exemplar eines Schwertes, wie es für das Gebiet und Reich von Palembang im 18. und 19. Jh. typisch und endemisch war. Lange, gerade und sehr elastische Klinge europäischer (evtl. indischer) Provenienz, einschneidig, gekehlt und aus sehr hochwertigem Stahl. Die Klinge ist dem 18. Jh. zuzuschreiben oder noch älter (evtl. bis 16. Jh.) und stammt wahrscheinlich aus Italien oder Deutschland. Derartige Klingen wurden in Indien und Südostasien hoch geschätzt und in einheimische Montierungen gesetzt. Griff aus Elfenbein, einen stilisierten makkara (Seeungeheuer) aus den puranischen Epen darstellend. In muslimischer Zeit wurde das Motiv (wie hier gut ersichtlich) zu einem rein vegetabilen Zierelement; das Element des Monsterhauptes mit offenem Rachen tritt in den Hintergrund. Die Prägung ist ursprünglich südindisch-singhalesisch und ist möglicherweise auf die Chola-Dynastie (10., 11. Jh.)zurückzuführen, als Indien auch militärisch in den Archipel

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Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


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1. Oktober 2025 10:00 CEST
Stuttgart, Germany

Nagel Auction

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Vollansicht der Versteigerungsbedingungen

Steigerungsstufen
Von: Bis: Erhöhungsschritte:
0 € 19 € 5 €
20 € 179 € 10 €
180 € 299 € 20 €
300 € 359 € 30 €
360 € 399 € 40 €
400 € 899 € 50 €
900 € 999 € 100 €
1.000 € 1.999 € 100 €
2.000 € 2.999 € 200 €
3.000 € 3.599 € 300 €
3.600 € 3.999 € 400 €
4.000 € 9.999 € 500 €
10.000 € 19.999 € 1.000 €
20.000 € 29.999 € 2.000 €
30.000 € 35.999 € 3.000 €
36.000 € 39.999 € 4.000 €
40.000 € 99.999 € 5.000 €
100.000 € 199.999 € 10.000 €
200.000 € + 20.000 €