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View Full Version : One of my favourite hilt forms


Sajen
23rd October 2011, 07:54 PM
I want to start a thread about a hilt form from Madura, the so called janggelan hilt. I will share my collection of this hilt form with you by the hope that you will show your hilts of this form as well. I don't want to write much, only show the hilts one by one.

Here the first one from from ivory.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 07:57 PM
One from bone, difficult to take photos by flash because the white colour.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:01 PM
One from whale tooth or from dugong tooth.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:03 PM
A very simple one from deer horn.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:05 PM
A better one from deer horn.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:08 PM
Another one from animal tooth, whale or dugong, I don't know.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:13 PM
The best one in my opinion, very old, the pesi comes through in the back. A material I don't know, look like ivory but in a colour and texture I never have seen. You see the kissing lips? ;) :D

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:18 PM
One from which remains only a fragment made from deer horn. But you still can see the high level of carving.

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 08:30 PM
The last one, again animal tooth, very figural with nice patina.

Enjoy!! :D And I hope to see yours, maybe it become a very interesting viewing thread!

Battara
23rd October 2011, 09:09 PM
Interesting examples. What is the janggelan hilt supposed to represent?

Sajen
23rd October 2011, 10:10 PM
Interesting examples. What is the janggelan hilt supposed to represent?


I simple don't know. I have read somewhere that it shall represent the "tree of life" but I would take this very, very carefully. :shrug:

ganjawulung
24th October 2011, 10:56 AM
Janggelan leaves (mesona palustris), could live almost everywhere in villages in Java, mostly in Magetan, Ponorogo and Pacitan in East Java. People here, they are used to plant this plantations deliberately, sun-dry the janggelan leaves, then sell them to certain buyers – to be used as raw material to make “cincau hitam” (black jelly) which have special aroma and taste, to be laid out on the dishes with natural “es buah” (fruit cocktail drink).

Why did javanese keris people create “janggelan hilts”? That’s still a question. The nature of janggelan hilts in reality, usually they are simple ornamented, and reflected as a simple hilt, for simple pusakas such as old betok, sombro betok etc... Many of them are made and carved on bones, but some are carved on elephant’s ivory too...

GANJAWULUNG

Sajen
24th October 2011, 06:52 PM
Janggelan leaves (mesona palustris), could live almost everywhere in villages in Java, mostly in Magetan, Ponorogo and Pacitan in East Java. People here, they are used to plant this plantations deliberately, sun-dry the janggelan leaves, then sell them to certain buyers – to be used as raw material to make “cincau hitam” (black jelly) which have special aroma and taste, to be laid out on the dishes with natural “es buah” (fruit cocktail drink).

Why did javanese keris people create “janggelan hilts”? That’s still a question. The nature of janggelan hilts in reality, usually they are simple ornamented, and reflected as a simple hilt, for simple pusakas such as old betok, sombro betok etc... Many of them are made and carved on bones, but some are carved on elephant’s ivory too...

GANJAWULUNG


Hello Jimmy,

thank you for this very intersting and informative explanation. I have eat already cincau hitam but don't know what is was made from. :eek:

Regards,

Detlef

Sajen
24th October 2011, 07:00 PM
Here you can see by the pesi holes that it is made from an animal tooth.

BluErf
25th October 2011, 03:22 PM
Sharing my only example.

I just realized that I had been complaining for a long time that I don't have an old Madurese keris when I had this for more than a few years... and its quite nice, IMHO. :D

Sajen
25th October 2011, 04:38 PM
Sharing my only example.

I just realized that I had been complaining for a long time that I don't have an old Madurese keris when I had this for more than a few years... and its quite nice, IMHO. :D

Hello Kai Wee,

indeed a nice hilt.:) Elephant ivory?

Regards,

Detlef

BluErf
27th October 2011, 02:20 PM
I think its marine ivory. The shape of the hilt follows the natural form of the tusk.

Alam Shah
28th October 2011, 07:53 AM
...Why did javanese keris people create “janggelan hilts”? That’s still a question. The nature of janggelan hilts in reality, usually they are simple ornamented, and reflected as a simple hilt, for simple pusakas such as old betok, sombro betok etc... Many of them are made and carved on bones, but some are carved on elephant’s ivory too...

GANJAWULUNGThanks Pak Jimmy for the info. I notice that there seems to be a head at the upper portion of the hilt. Some are obvious and others less obvious or hidden. What does that represents?

A. G. Maisey
29th October 2011, 04:46 AM
Sorry for the delay in joining this thread; I've had net problems.

Herewith a few more.

I'm not exactly sure where this hilt form stops and starts, I have a few more that are similar, but I feel outside the parameters for this form.

A. G. Maisey
29th October 2011, 04:51 AM
Alam Shah, I have noted two different head forms in this type of hilt:- a humanoid head, and a kakatua head. Sometimes when there is no distinct head the suggested form seems to be more kakatua than human.I would theorise that the human form of head is ancestral, and the kakatua associated with the world above.

Alam Shah
29th October 2011, 05:12 AM
Alam Shah, I have noted two different head forms in this type of hilt:- a humanoid head, and a kakatua head. Sometimes when there is no distinct head the suggested form seems to be more kakatua than human.I would theorise that the human form of head is ancestral, and the kakatua associated with the world above.Thanks Alan for the additional pictures. Agreed with your observations and theory. :) Surely there's a reason for these hilt forms, unfortunately, I do not know. :(

A. G. Maisey
29th October 2011, 06:04 AM
Maybe the reason is that the material has something hidden which needs to be revealed.

I've had this reason given to me a number of times by a number carvers.

So --- just maybe, at some unknown time in the past, a carver with imagination had the tip of a horn, and asked himself what he could create from it.

When we are dealing with art forms from a time and place that differs from our own, we need to be able to think in a way that also differs from 21st. century rational.

As 21st century rational thinkers we would identify the need, thus reason, and seek the material. People who think differently could have the material, and then seek the use, thus need, which provides reason.

Sajen
29th October 2011, 12:25 PM
Sorry for the delay in joining this thread; I've had net problems.

Herewith a few more.

I'm not exactly sure where this hilt form stops and starts, I have a few more that are similar, but I feel outside the parameters for this form.


Thank you for sharing, some nice examples. Here a few more in a group picture from a friend collector.

A. G. Maisey
30th October 2011, 12:14 AM
Seems we've diversified a bit, so I'm putting these up too. I do not regard these hilts as janggalan style. To me they are clearly kakatua.

But as I've said:- where does one type stop and another start?

Marcokeris
22nd December 2011, 01:10 PM
Sharing my only example.

I just realized that I had been complaining for a long time that I don't have an old Madurese keris when I had this for more than a few years... and its quite nice, IMHO. :D
Rather a twin (but different base ;) ).Probably the same carver...and material (?)

Marcokeris
22nd December 2011, 01:13 PM
Some others (horn and ivory)

Jean
22nd December 2011, 01:30 PM
Few other specimens with various designs (ivory & deer horn).
Regards

VANDOO
24th December 2011, 07:51 PM
BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLES AND THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A LOT OF VARIATION IN THE FORM. THE FIRST EXAMPLE AND SEVERAL OTHERS REMIND ME OF THE PINEAPPLE PATTERN.
TWO PICTURES OF SPERM WHALE TOOTH BASES. THE NATURAL BASE HAS A SHARP THIN SKIRT AND IS VERY PRONE TO START CRACKS WHEN THE TOOTH DRYS OUT. AN EXAMPLE OF A VICTORIAN SCRIMSHAWED TOOTH WITH THE SKIRT REMOVED AS IS USUAL FOR THE PERIOD. NOTE THE PATINA AND NUMBER OF CRACKS. PERHAPS IVORY HILTS ARE OILED ALONG WITH KERIS BLADES THUS PREVENTING SERIOUS CRACKS. IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP ALL IVORY LIGHTLY OILED AND MARINE IVORY IS ESPECIALLY PRONE TO DRYING OUT AND CRACKING IN DRY ENVIRONMENTS.

VVV
9th July 2014, 01:31 PM
Here is my latest with a scorpion (spider?) threatening the bird.

Michael

Paul Duffy
28th June 2016, 08:38 AM
I am very grateful for the photos posted by all of you.A marvelous collection

Athanase
2nd July 2016, 06:23 PM
Wonderful items in this thread !!

These are very modest example I have.
On the one with the face, the base is in elephant ivory and the other part may be in sperm whale ivory.

Loedjoe
7th November 2016, 11:33 AM
A couple to add - the second in next post
1. Bone(?) I think, despite the 'ivory'-seeming patina. 8 cm; ex collection Martin Kerner.

Loedjoe
7th November 2016, 11:35 AM
2. Ivory, 9.5 cm. Unusual to find an open beak? There is another with open beak in post #24, the one on the right.

Jean
7th November 2016, 02:03 PM
My latest piece bought at a recent auction.
Regards

Sajen
7th November 2016, 04:09 PM
My latest piece bought at a recent auction.
Regards

Hello Jean,

nice! :) Do you know the material?

Regards,
Detlef

Jean
7th November 2016, 05:58 PM
Hello Detlef,
The materials is marine ivory I think, the piece is rustic and looks old (about 100 years?), and it is partly damaged on one side.
The first hilt from Loedjoe also seems to be from ivory to me but we would need to see the pesi hole for confirming it.
Regards

kai
7th November 2016, 08:25 PM
Yes, looks like ivory to me too, Tim.

Loedjoe
8th November 2016, 01:39 PM
Thank you, Jean and Kai, for your comments. I attach a couple of shots of the pesi hole of the hilt in post #32, in case they will help identify the material.

Sajen
8th November 2016, 01:58 PM
Thank you, Jean and Kai, for your comments. I attach a couple of shots of the pesi hole of the hilt in post #32, in case they will help identify the material.

Agree, ivory! :)

kai
8th November 2016, 02:52 PM
I also stick to my suggestion - at least no features of bone visible from these pics.

Regards,
Kai

Loedjoe
8th November 2016, 05:50 PM
Thank you Jean, Sajen and Kai - ivory it is then - excellent.