Sword (Rudus) and Scabbard
- Dated: 1835
- Inlayer: Muhammad Salih of Terumon (Malaysian, active Kampung Payang, circa 1835)
- Geography: Kuala Berang
- Culture: Malaysian, Kampung Payang, and Sumatra, Aceh
- Medium: steel, wood, horn, gold
- Measurements: L. with scabbard 33 1/8 in. (84.1 cm); L. without scabbard 31 ¼ in. (79.4 cm); L. of scabbard 26 ¾ in. (67.9 cm); W. 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm); Wt. 24.1 oz. (683.2 g); Wt. of scabbard 12.5 oz. (354.4 g)
The sword is exceptional for the gold decoration inlaid on its blade, which includes a date and an inscription identifying the artist as “Muhammad Salih of the state of Terumon in the village of Payung.” While the place names appear to refer to the Malaysian Peninsula, the form of the hilt, blade and scabbard are distinctive to a region of northern Sumatra inhabited by the Aceh and Pakpak peoples, suggesting the sword was made in Sumatra and then decorated in neighboring Malaysia.
