Pestle ?

[GIO]

A friend presented me this item. I suppose it could be a small (9,5 cm) pestle, made of buffalo horn. I hope that more informed friends can identify its origin from the style of decorations. Thanks in advance !

[GIO]

A friend presented me this item. I suppose it could be a small (9,5 cm) pestle, made of buffalo horn. I hope that more informed friends can identify its origin from the style of decorations. Thanks in advance !

Photos published soon

[GIO]

Here they are

[David]

Do you mean a pestle as in "mortar & pestle"? Because i am pretty sure it is not that kind of pestle for a number of reasons.

[fernando]

Surely GIO means something else; right, GIO ? ;).

[GIO]

Thanks for your attention, David and Fernando. No, I didn't mean something else, I really cannot imagine what it is. It has no hole at the end, and it is rather small to be a hilt, so I imagined it could be a small pestle.

[Sajen]

Hello Gio,

I think you mean such betel crusher pestles like in the picture, these both pestles I have recently bought but they have not arrived yet. Both are from Lombok. These I know from other examples I've handled and don't think that your small handle is from a Lombok betel crusher but could be from one of another region. :shrug: But could be from a small pisau also.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

I think you mean pestle handle, correct?
Looking at your pictures I have a feeling that your handle is East Javanese or Madurese, but just my feeling.

[GIO]

Yes, it could be an unfinished (it has not yet the hole) betel crusher hilt. As to the origin, I remember having seen already the figure with the two "eyes", arms and hands, but I don't remember where.
Thanks again for your help

[GIO]

Hello Gio,

I think you mean such betel crusher pestles like in the picture, these both pestles I have recently bought but they have not arrived yet. Both are from Lombok. T
Regards,
Detlef

Hello Detlef
Nice items and good carvings. All seem really old.

Best regards Gio

[Sajen]

Yes, it could be an unfinished (it has not yet the hole) betel crusher hilt. As to the origin, I remember having seen already the figure with the two "eyes", arms and hands, but I don't remember where.
Thanks again for your help

Ah, now I understand completely, the handle has no hole for a tang. It shows patination so it was most probably in use. But a handle which isn't meant to fit a tang! And only this small piece of horn wouldn't be very good to crush betel nuts IMVHO. ;)
So when we summarize, it was most probably in use (patina), it has no hole for a tang, it's small and very likely a handle. I think you have to investigate in this direction.. ;)
I have no idea yet, sorry.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

A talisman or jimat??

[Sajen]

Hello Detlef
Nice items and good carvings. All seem really old.

Hi Gio,

Thank you! :) From time to time I get offered nice items from Indonesia, so this two old betel crushers and the wooden Bali/Lombok handle. Two nice old taji ayam are in this parcel as well.

Best regards,
Detlef

[Bob A]

Horn does not make a very effective crushing tool, so I'd not opt for pestle.

The end looks rather like a truncated cone; it might fit into some sort of socketed apparatus, the nature of which I couldn't guess.

[Peter B.]

Hi Gio,

Two nice old taji ayam are in this parcel as well.

Best regards,
Detlef

Hello Detlef,

can you show us the taji ayam?

Thanks and best regards
Peter

[Sajen]

Hello Detlef,

can you show us the taji ayam?

Thanks and best regards
Peter

Hello Peter,

We have had a thread special for this items, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20830&highlight=Taji+ayam

Until now I don't know why it got closed, I would be glad to post them there, I have a third one before. Maybe the mods can open this thread again and I would be glad to show them there! :shrug:
I don't want to hijack this thread and I would be reluctant to start a new thread about taji ayam!
Anyway, here two pic. of my three boxes.

Best regards,
Detlef

[Peter B.]

Hello Detlef,

Thanks for the pictures. These are very nice boxes.
Since I bought the book Kotak Taji by van Donk, I've been also looking for such a beautiful piece.

Best regards
Peter

[Sajen]

Thanks for the pictures. These are very nice boxes.
Since I bought the book Kotak Taji by van Donk, I've been also looking for such a beautiful piece.

Hello Peter,

By me is the book on my wish list! :):D Like Alan wrote in the given thread they are hard to come by and most of the time very expensive, sadly.

Best regards,
Detlef