A sword "pada" or "pade"

Estimated Value:

4.000 € - 6.000 €

Result:

incl. Premium and VAT

Description:

East Indonesia, Sulawesi or Maluku, 18th century or earlier
L. 85,5 cm
Steel, wood, hair, gutta-percha. The object presented here is a very beautiful and well-preserved example of a pade or bada/pade with a very old collection provenance. The derivation of the term pada, which refers to front-heavy, single-edged slashing blades in the greater 'Celebes Sea' area, is unclear. It can be assumed that it goes back to the Indian word pata or patta (in Mahrati and Hindi), which in turn is related to the Greco-Roman word spatha, “sword”. The long, downward-drawn handle is made of medium-hard wood. It is set off from the blade by a small horn plate, the short handle is irregularly wrapped with fine rattan bands. The widened pommel, bound with red-dyed rattan, is complemented by a gutta-percha ball into which tufts of long human hair have been inserted. The context of headhunting, which was widespread in eastern Indonesia, cannot be overlooked. The mighty blade can almost certainly be described as South Sulawesi work, while the handle represents a type from Maluku. Even today, a group of islands off South Sulawesi is called Pulau Tukangbesi, “island of the iron smiths” or “iron craftsmen”. Both raw materials and blades were probably traded here and locally fitted with handles. Swords of this type can be found on the “Spice Islands” and North Sulawesi (Minahasa) as early as the 16th century (e.g. through depictions in the Boxer Codex), but probably have a much longer history (see above). The massive but well-balanced and relatively light blade is made using the composite technique.The flanks are biconvex until they abruptly merge into the reinforced roof-shaped spine.This achieves greater rigidity and lower weight at the same time.The cutting edge and spine are made of textured refined steel, while the middle section of the blade is made of specially produced laminate with a pronounced grain.The “ricasso”, i.e. the long thickened neck of the blade at the base before the cutting edge begins, can be useful for gripping with the second hand for strong blows, but is primarily a carrying aid, as pade were carried freely in the hand or over the shoulder (similar to an axe) as a weapon, but also as a “sign of dignity” and did not require a scabbard.The piece probably dates from the 17th or 18th century, as its provenance from a Swiss private collection can be traced back around 140 years. However, the beautiful age patina suggests an even greater age.
Collected from an old German private collection since the 1950s - Minim. signs of age and wear
The population of the Moluccas consists mainly of Malays and smaller ethnic groups (Pagu and Tidore speakers), who were formerly referred to collectively as Alfurs. Melanesian and Australoid characteristics are still noticeable, not least in the anthropological habitus. The proverbial trade in spices (“spice islands”) was carried out around the turn of the millennium at the latest, but is probably older. The inhabitants of the smaller volcanic islands traded nutmeg and cloves for palmsago from the larger islands, such as Halmahera and Seram. The Bugis imported these spices to Java and Sumatra, from where they were traded on to China, India and Europe. The local population was called Alfuren or Halifuren / Alifura by Arabs and early European colonizers. There is therefore no precise ethnological classification associated with “Alfuren”. The origin of the word is also not clear. It was derived from the Portuguese forro (forrar) and Spanish horro (horrar), both of which translate as “free” and go back to the Arabic harr with the same meaning. It can also be derived from the self-designation of the Papuan people Arfu in the northwest of New Guinea

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