Help ID - Indonesia, ancestor figures?

[DaveA]

Hello all,

I acquired this knife recently. I have an interest in ancestor figures on edged weapons and scabbards as design features with various degrees of symbolic importance.

I came upon this thread and perhaps it provides a clue: Tanimbar Moluccas, Indonesia?

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15695&highlight=Ancestor

These are the seller's pictures. After I clean it up a bit and work on that rust, I'll have new pictures to share.

Does anyone recognize this knife or design or can comment?

Best Regards,

Dave A.

[Rick]

I believe it's Batak.

[Oliver Pinchot]

Agreed, Rick. I was about to say the same.

[DaveA]

Thanks very much. That it might be Batak was in the back of my head and was my first impression until I saw the other thread.

Superficially, the shape and carvings resemble the Batak Piso Gaja Dompak with the exception that no elephant is depicted on the hilt. So I suspected it was in that style, but of far lesser prestige than the kingly Piso Gaja Dompak.

Links below are to original; Google translate is a big help :)

Wikipedia article (https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piso_Gaja_Dompak)

Piso Gaja Dompak as royal pusaka (https://hariansib.com/Lembaran-Budaya/Piso-Gaja-Dompak--Pusaka-Orang-Batak-yang-Hanya-Dimiliki-Sisingamangaraja)

Comments? Any notions of age?

[Sajen]

Hello Dave,

It's a Toba Batak knife, see this threads:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24988&highlight=toba+batak
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3801&highlight=toba+batak
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3615&highlight=toba+batak

This one seems to have some age, please show pictures when you have cleaned the blade.

Regards,
Detlef