AGE AND USE:
The age can be derived from different provenances from which we can conclude that the gobang
bandung was in fashion in the early 1800s and might be even earlier.
In the time when there were photographers in the Indonesian archipelago, these kind of swords were already out of fashion, as there is not to be found a single photo with a warrior or native carrying a gobang bandung.
There is only one photo (Chapter "Age and Use" photo 2) known with gobang bandungs, which shows us a weapon display of the governor of Bandung, made around 1880.
The weapons displayed were probably used as status symbols of the governor.
We see here some spears, kerisses, African weapons, European/Indian swords, a beladah belabang from south Borneo, and up to seven gobang bandungs. If these gobangs were extensively worn by Preanger natives at that time, it would be unlikely that the governor would show so many of them among the status pieces to represent his high status.
Photo 2
Although there is no photograph of a native wearing a gobang bandung, there are some
provenanced drawings of these swords from the early 1800s.
For instance the drawings made by A.J. Bik and his brother J.T. Bik.
They were appointed at first in the year 1816, to make drawings on very early expeditions of Prof. Dr. C. Reinwardt.
They assisted Reinwardt together on an expedition from 27 February 1821 to 26 June 1822 through the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago.
On this expedition they made a lot of drawings, depicting landscapes, natives, trees and plants and Hindu antiquities.
These original drawings are nowadays in the collection of the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde.
The interesting thing is, that we can find the gobang bandung on some of the drawings.
One drawing of two different types of Preanger sword (a gobang bandung, another very rare sword
from Preanger and a blade only ( Chapter "Age & Use", Illustrations 3 & 4), a drawing of a gobang bandung in front of a landscape (Chapter "Age & Use", Illustration 5), and two drawings of natives from Bandung wearing a gobang bandung (Chapter "Age & Use", Illustrations 6 & 7).
Note: For an example of the rare type of sword as depicted next to the gobang bandung as in "Illustrations 3 & 4", have a look at the "Set of photos 8". Notice the similarity in scabbard styles!
Illustration 3
Illustration 4
Illustration 5
Illustration 6
Illustration 7
Private collection Michael Marlow
Set of photos 8
In the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam collection is a gobang, which, according to the information in the database of the Wereldmuseum, was mainly used for deer hunting (Chapter Gobang in Dutch Museums, photo 13).
Although this is the only time that the usage of a gobang has been mentioned, we must take
this seriously, and consider that besides other purposes this could be one of them for which it was used.
The deer hunting in the Preanger area has been described in several old books or articles. It was mainly for the entertainment of princes, chiefs and noblemen.
The deer were hunted by hunters on horses, until they were within the range of the hunters' swords (gobangs?), and killed with a blow to the neck.
An old lithograph (1876) of an even older drawing of such a deerhunt, made by E.A. Hardouin, is in the Tropenmuseum collection (Chapter "Age and Use", photo 10).
Also we find a drawing in Indië by J.C. Lamster of such a deerhunt in Java (Chapter "Age and Use", photo 9).
Photo 9
Photo 10
Another interesting gobang bandung is known with exceptional provenance (Chapter "Age and Use", set of photos 11).
This particular sword, with a total length of 47 cm, is dated “1824 Tjiandjoer”, and on the other side of the blade “R. v.d. Capellen”.
This provenanced sword is now in the collection of the Museum of Asian Cultures in Singapore.
Robert van der Capellen was resident of the Preanger area in West Java. He was placed in that position by his older brother G.A.G.P. van der Capellen, who was Governor-General of the whole East Indies from 1816 to 1826.
R. v.d. Capellen was settled in Tjiandjoer.
Another amazing detail is that there is a similar sword in a Dutch collection, with the same date and place, but with the name “C.L. Blume”.
These two dated swords are also a covincing indication of the early date of these swords.
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Set of photos 11