Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 141:
A distinctive Bornean sword of the Iban Dayak, called a jimpul, these swords arefound throughout institutional and private collections in varying degrees of quality. They aredistinguished by a set of similar features and may be considered as a hybrid between the parangilang and the langgai tinggang. The blade has flat sides and both back and edge have a stronganterior curvature. The blade at the commencement of the slope is generally quite broad and insome cases there are hooks and projections or a fret design on the slope and sometimes for ashort distance along the back two or three grooves run along the posterior part of the blade oneach side and each side of the shoulder is incised with a phyllomorphic pattern. A rudimentaryfinger guard krowit of the same nature as those of the parang ilang and langgai tinggang isgenerally present on jimpul such as this example. The blades are often made of tempered metaland in some cases may display a lamellar pattern, similar to the pamor found on Indonesian krisblades, though this is uncommon. The hilts are often delicately carved with various detailsvarying across the many tribes of the Dayak, but often depict creatures or anthropomorphic deities.This example in the Schmiedt Collection has a nicely carved hilt with the leech pattern carved inthe hilt called (lemetek) and which is associated with blood sucking and considered anappropriate motif for a weapon. Swords with leech motifs are considered to come from the IbanDayak of Sarawak, though the Kayan tribe also used this motif. The hilt and blade seated with abinding of red wire, likely later. The hilt is likely later than the blade which displays a finegeometry and is well forged.Dating to the early to mid-20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 28 1/2" Blade Length : 22 1/2" References:1. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2002). Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago.Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land2. Heppell, M., et al, (2005) Iban Art: Sexual Selection and Severed Heads, C.Zwartenkot/Kit Publishers3. Sellato, B. (ed.), Plaited Arts from the Borneo Rainforest, NIAS Press, 20124. Fischer, H.W. (1909) Katalog des ethnographischen Reichsmuseums- Die Inselnringsum Sumatra, (vol. 4, Leiden)5. Tromp, S.W. (1888) Medeelingen Omtrent Mandaus. Internationales Archiv fÃÆ’¼rEthnographie. Band 1. Pp.22-266. Shelford, R. (1901) A provisional classification of the swords of the Sarawak tribes.Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 31.Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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