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Narrative

The donor purchased the knife with working as a CUSO volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia. It was purchased in Kuching, in 1973, at a shop that specialized in antiques from Sarawak. He recalled a card with the knife that said it belonged to a headman in 1905?

Description

Ceremonial parang (part a) with scabbard (part b). Long knife has a cylindrical horn hilt that tapers towards top; rectangular protrusion extends from left side. Both top half of hilt and protrusion are hollowed out. Circular, curvilinear, linear, and fang-like motifs carved in relief along upper half of hilt; hilt grip covered with woven band of rattan. Holes are drilled into the tapered section of the hilt, for hanging purposes; hilt attached to blade with resin. Knife blade is convex on one side, slightly concave on the other, and widens from the hilt; back edge of point is tiered. Linear, "X" designs, geometric, and curvilinear motifs incised along front of blade. Scabbard is composed of wood sheath for the long knife, and has a smaller plant fibre and fabric sheath tied to back with rattan. Wood sheath is made of two pieces of wood bound together with rattan; upper two bands of rattan are plain, bottom four are tied decoratively. Panels decorated with floral and curvilinear motifs carved along front of wood sheath. Smaller sheath is undecorated and has two pieces of bamboo along the interior edges, providing shape. Long braided rattan cord, with looped ends, threaded through small sheath, for carrying purposes.