ORIGIN:

It is very likely that these swords have their origin in the Preanger area, which is in the midland of Java around Bandung (Chapter "Origin" , Illustration 1) .

This can be derived from some facts, found during the research.

In the Tropenmuseum Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde Leiden and Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, we find similar swords, which are labelled as having their origin from Preanger (or at least West-Java).

Although the correctness of the information on the labels of museums can not always be taken for granted, we can assume they are right about these coming from Preanger as we are talking here about several similar swords, all labelled as being from the same area, out of different collections

and even different museums.

Also there is an image (Chapter "Age & Use", photo 2) known of weapons of the governor of Bandung from about 1880, with several types of (also foreign) weapons. But there are up to seven gobang bandungs shown.

Another interesting thing which indicates that these swords come from Preanger, is that some very interesting and old drawings of the gobang bandung showed up (Chapter "Age & Use", photo 3-4-5), drawn during expeditions which took place in these areas, and even two drawings of natives of Bandung wearing a gobang bandung (Chapter "Age & Use", photo 6 & 7).

We can say with certainty, regarding the information mentioned in this chapter, that this is definitely a sword from the Preanger area.

(Illustration 1)

The Preanger regencies consist of one sixth part of the whole island of Java (about 21.500 square kilometers).  The native name is Tanah Prijangan, which is an abbrevation of Parahijangan,

which means “residence of the spirits”.

The region is broadly bounded in the north by the residencies Batavia and Cheribon, in the east by Cheribon and Banjoemas, in the south and southwest by the Indian Ocean, and in the west by Bantam.

In the north the boundary is along the ridge of the Salak-Gĕdé and the Boerangrang-Tangkoebanprahoe Mountains; In the east the Tji Tandoej river seperates the Preanger regencies from Banjoemas; The south coast has a regular course; In the west, the Wijnkoopsbaai (Palaboehan Ratoe) and the Zandbaai (Tjilĕtoe), and in the southeast the Panandjoengbaai penetrate some miles inland.