Show Us Your Akar Bahar

[Rick]

Here are my examples; way too small to use for more than jewelry . :(
Black Coral is said by various cultures to have talismanic value; does anyone else here have perhaps a kris hilt or sewar hilt, or other ethno items made from this material ? :)

[Sajen]

Hi Rick,

can add two rentjong hilts. :) Here the first one, the second one will follow soon.

[Sajen]

Here the other one.

[Battara]

Here is my rencong example which can be found here:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13891&highlight=Rencong+gold

[Rick]

It's amazing how nicely this stuff polishes up . With a high shine it seems almost like the black material is absorbing light .
Akar Bahar also comes in white; has anyone an example of white akar bahar ?

[Battara]

Just for clarity, the end tip of my rencong is not white coral but an ivory replacement much later.

[Rick]

A search provides this example .
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16797

[A. G. Maisey]

back in the 1960's and 1970's there was heaps of this stuff available in bali, mostly in the form of bracelets, i had a lot and most have been given away.

i'm not home right now, but when i get back i'll dig out what i can find and post. got some bits of red stuff too.

don't have any keris hilts of it, wouldn't mind one.

[Loedjoe]

A few more examples. The peurawot bought from BataviaCollectables.com (many thanks, Maurice)

[A. G. Maisey]

Here is a knife handle, sorry, no blade at the moment, that is being cleaned and stained.

I've got a few pieces of this stuff, but this handle was the only piece I could put my hand on without searching.

[Battara]

So what is the nature of black coral's talismanic properties?

BTW - great examples folks!

[A. G. Maisey]

I have acquired all of the black coral I've had over the years in Bali. In the 1960's through into the 1980's there were always a lot of black coral bracelets on offer, souvenir quality through to very nice jewellery pieces, however, in recent years it has just about disappeared, I did see a few bracelets for sale in April of this year, but nothing I'd spend money on.

Anyway, in the '70's it was sold as a potent protection against spells and black magic, and many Balinese people used to, and still do wear it.

[A. G. Maisey]

I knew I had these somewhere. Found them shifting stuff around so my painters could do some work.

Black coral bracelets, Bali, around 1974.

[apolaki]

Here is mine. It is shaped like a finger and even has a finger nail! :)

[A. G. Maisey]

Pretty useful.

Good for driving in traffic.