This ‘sewar’ (dagger) is a typical example from the Palembang region in south Sumatra, with its deeply carved water buffalo horn scabbard and hilt as well as a floral and tendril-decorated silver oversheath. The hilt is further embellished with silver ornaments intricately decorated with wire filigree. As most sewar are far less ornate, this particular example would most likely have been worn for prestige. Traditionally, the sewar enjoyed a rather unsavory reputation as a weapon of assassins because its relatively small size made it fairly easy to conceal. Smaller examples of the sewar are also thought to have been carried by women as a form of self-defence.
