The Padri Gun by Westenenk
Translation from the 1908 Dutch language article by Louis Constant Westenenk.
Asian arms in Dutch master paintings
Dutch masters' fascination with exotic Asian wares shown in a series of paintings.
17th century Javanese tombak
With floral overlay, kinatah, typical for the period.
Vietnamese dha in early style
Wih fine embossed silver mounts and an unusual blade with spiked tip.
Old mandau with laminated blade
The unusual blade is paired with a unique, probably also very early, hilt.
South Kalimantan parang
Of typical South Borneo workmanship, but formed like a mandau from Kutai.
Very old mandau with stars
With exceptional, well crafted and heavy blade.
Sumatran sword with gold covered hilt
A fine example, probably meant for Palembang royalty.
Nyamba keris hilt with seal
Rare old keris handle made into a European wax seal.
Unusual Indonesian carved grip
Made of carved wood with metal inlays for eyes and mouth.
Batak bullet holder
Carved of amber-colored horn, with an ancestral face with metal inlays.
Dayak bamboo container
Carved with typically Dayak aso motifs.
Burmese silver manuscript holder
For holding and protecting important documents.
Burmese silver lime container
Finely worked in repousse with ten figures on container and lid.
Mandailing sword
A very rare sword of a type that may be attributable to the Mandailing people of West Sumatra.
Padang highlands sword
A rare type of Sumatran sword, often attributed to the Padang Highlands
A rare Sumatran sword
With a blade often associated with the Mandailing of Sumatra.
Rencong from Aceh
A good example of this peculiar style of Sumatran dagger.
So-op
Dayak word for their sword hilt.
Thai gilded silver niello sword
Straight gold inlaid blade and silver-gilt niello mounts.
Rare Vietnamese pellet bow set
An exceedingly rare set with fine mother of pearl inlaid string board
SE Asian dha with "Musashi tsuba"
In excavated condition, with copper alloy hilt.
Unusual Vietnamese trường đao
With forward swept iron guard and swollen grip.
A Tonkinese saber
Northern Vietnam, 19th century
Thai wooden shield
Made of lacquered wood, it depicts a Chinese-style tiger.
Colonial revolving matchlock gun
With five chamber canister. The whole in silver gilt overlay with Vietnamese decorative elements.
Solo court keris
With raised gold overlay and gilt-enamel
Old Hanuman keris holder
A charming Balinese keris holder in the form of Hanuman, the brave monkey king.
17th century Vietnamese lance
With a black and gold metal sleeve, often called "sawasa".
Japanese inspired Asian sword
Inspired by uchigatana brought into Vietnam by Japanese refugees who settled along the coast.
Ntugalu
Kachin name for a long straight sword.
Very good Mindan dha
With silver overlay on iron even continued on its hilt.
Mindan Ramayana dha
Fine Mindan dha with a scene from the Ramayana on its blade.
Silver mounted dha
With entirely silver covered hilt and silver mounts on scabbard.
Mindan dha
Fine silver overlaid dha made in Mindan village, south of Mandalay, gained fame in the 19th century.
Heavy dha
The thick and heavy blade is marked with a script that has yet to be identified.
Burmese dha with interesting blade
With inscriptions on blade, unusual grooves, and brass inlaid copper mounts.
Mainsa dha
Term coined by Bell in 1907, describing a dha that by then was mainly of Chinese make.
Plain dha with baldric
Nice plain dha as used in Yunnan, Burma, and northern Thailand. Complete with baldric.
A plain dha
Of a type likely produced by the Shan people and traded widely in the region.
Pamor
Indonesian word for pattern on a steel blade. Also the name of the nickel often used for a contrasting effect.
Bali straight keris
With fine flaming pamor blade and notched "cekah redut" hilt.
Balinese keris blade finishing
The Balinese keris is known for its smooth finish with starkly contrasting black iron and silver pamor. This article gives an eye witness account of how this was achieved.
Bali buntel mayat keris
Bali keris with fine slanted wrapped pamor, considered to be one of the most powerful pamor.
One of my favorite items...
... and it is not even a weapon!
European sword blade keris
In the style of a Malay keris panjang.
Vietnamese wooden shield
Rare type of rectangular wooden shield from Vietnam.
Vietnamese shortsword
A short version of the Vietnamese kiếm sword with a finely carved horn hilt.
Very fine Mindan dha
Fine silver overlaid dha made in Mindan village, south of Mandalay, gained fame in the 19th century.