Silver adorned Gobang Bandung sword

The Preanger area, or as the Javanese call it themselves the ‘Tanah Prijangan’, is a large area in Mid-West Java. This indigenous sword from this region can be placed in the early to late 19th century and is locally called ‘Gobang Bandung’.
They come in different varieties. Mostly with a simple, yet elegant hilt and scabbard, and a wide mouth leaping into a narrow mid section ending in a wide foot. Scabbards are often made of two sheets of wood, covered with rattan and cloth.

The ‘Gobang Bandung‘ is a traditional sword used in West-Java during the 19th century. In fact the ‘Gobang Bandung‘ dates, according to studied examples, from between roughly 1820 to 1870. After 1870 the ‘Gobang‘ disappeared and the more mass-produced ‘Golok‘ from Cikeruh seemed to dominate the arms-manufacture up till the early 20th century. A very few photos from this period are preserved in museum collections where people are supposingly wearing a ‘Gobang‘.

The ‘Gobang Bandung’ varies in many styles of decoration, depending on local traditions and fashion.

This example:

A fine example, conveniently dated to 1847, which supports its classification within the aforementioned typology. The hilt is clad in silver, featuring engraved foliate borders. The blade is traditionally forged, displaying an intriguing pattern; it is slightly curved with a single cutting edge and a medial ridge along the spine. The scabbard is constructed from wooden slabs, bound with blackened rattan and textile. Two silver fittings, echoing the decorative style of the hilt, adorn the ends of the scabbard.

A selection of ‘Gobang Bandung’ sold by Antiques by the Sea within the last five years.