'Crown' mounts on sikin panjang
 

Examining a few sikin panjang recently, I noticed that some of the nine-panelled 'crown' mounts at the bases of the hilts, with alternating panels of green and blue enamel, the panels in the lower tier alternating blue under an upper green one, and green under a upper blue one (see attached pictures) had one upper panel, near the edge side of the blade, that was half green and half blue, with the lower tier half blue and half green. Is this common? Unfortunately the enamel on some of those I examined was too worn to be able to tell if they were enamelled in the same way.

Sorry, attached the same picture twice. The second one is attached here (with the lower tier, under the half blue half green one, all green, not half and half)

Hi Joe!

I can't help you with your question, sorry, but I simply have to express my adoration for the beautiful enamel work! I think I've read that it's supposed to represent shoots of bamboo, but I can't remember where right now. Is that true?

Why it it only on some of the swords - do you know? Does it signify status or is it simply decoration and a matter of the size of the owner's wallet, so to speak?

I love sikin's! Well actually I find the straight panjang a little boring, but the curved peudeung so get's me buzzing. -With a big, carved [i]hulu pesangang{/i] and an ivory throat on the scabbard - YES PLEASE!! :D

Can we see the rest of the sword, pretty please? :)


/Cheers, - Thor

Hello Loedjoe,

That is a nice variation in enamel you have there.
I would love to see the rest of the sikins. (+scabbards ?)

Here is another thread that already digs into the variations.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=crowns+atjeh

As for the enamel, I think that the variation in enamel is just a variation. Freedom of the artist who made it. :shrug:

Best regards,
Willem

Thank you, Thor and Willem, for your comments. I don't know the answer to your questions, Thor, but the thread indicated by Willem is very informative (thanks, Willem, for drawing my attention to this). I'll try to put up some more pictures of both these sikin panjang, and of one other which may be of interest - apologies for poor quality of photos.
First sikin herewith, others to follow.

The second one.

One interpretation of the inscription has been read as
'Tuan yang empunya milik[?] sikin panjang ini Teungku Syaikh Saman Lam R[ayah?] (the owner of this long sikin is Teungku Syaikh Saman of Lam R[ayah?]).

In this one, and in the one to follow, also with an inscription, the underside of the guard has some inlay, which I have not seen in other sikin panjang.

A third one, with no gold remaining in the inlay. The inscription on the back of the blade is almost obliterated - I am told 'the last word is 'Muhammad' but nothing else can be satisfactorily read; the final letters before Muhammad are h.y.t'.
On the scabbard
Inilah alamat sarung sikin (This is the scabbard of the sikin of)
Teungku Kecik b.n.w.h.w (Benuhu?) l.w.p?.y.n?.y [i.e. name?]
k.m.w .... nenggeri Kabat[?].
One day I shall try to get proper photos of the inscriptions, to see if a bit more can be deciphered.

I like these sikim. I am told that the one with gold crowns are the rarest.

Question for the "experts" (of whom I am not :o ): what type of horn makes up the hilt on the gold crowned sikim?

Hello Jose,

Water buffalo (kerbau, carabao, etc.) seems to be the quite universal default origin of Aceh/Sumatran hilts if made from horn; sometimes you see the blonde variety from albino mutant kerbau. I can't remember any antique piece for which any other origin of the horn was likely (much less verified which would be tough short of DNA evidence). Except for rhino that is, which has been utilized for carving very few smaller hilts (keris, etc.).

Regards,
Kai

I agree a 100% with kai in the above. Although I find it interesting, that they often seem to be carved of the light brown variety and very rarely darker or completely black. At least as far as the specimens type of hulu tumpang beunteung I've seen.

I also second the rhino comment. SEA rhino species have always been scarce - even though not as bad off as today, where there's a couple hundred left of the Sumatran and less than 100 of the Javan. I expect those guys to be gone like many of the other subspecies before my own children are old enough to go and see them. Even back when more plentiful, they were notoriously hard to find as they are relatively small and good at moving unseen through thick jungle.

They also yield a rather deminutive horn compared to the African or even Indian species. I have never read any historical sources of the use of SEA rhino horn, but I would expect it to be a product reserved for the very few.


All the best, - Thor

Impressive piece with this combi of hilt shape, floral decoration, inlays (although gone) and the inscription. I wish we could date this one.

I assume you meanwhile used the searchfunction on this website.
if you just search on "sikin" you will find many threads.

Here is a very nice one with very rare shape and decorations. :p
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=sikin

Best regards,
Willem

Yes, agree on this one too.

Although there are exceptions, my general impression is also that the dark horn is often used when more detailled and elaborate floral carvings are made.

Wow Willem, that's a total masterpiece that one (your link)! The wear and patina to the hulu is just gorgeous and who wouldn't love to have one of that age? Made me drool in my morning coffee... :D

Joe, your set is also stunning! They compliment each other really well: With gold crown, ivory throat and jawi inscriptions, you have all the different types of possible icing on the sikim-cake - indeed a true trinity!

Thanks for posting the extra pics - made my morning!


Have a cool day, - Thor

Thank you Willem, for the link to that fine sikin. I'll try searching under sikin - thanks for the tip.

It's great with so many beautiful Aceh crowns in one thread!

From what I have seen, when two different colors of enamel is used on Aceh crowns mostly the artist variates between the panels, not in the panels as on your sikin.

Michael

I tried to get some additional pictures of gold/enamel crowns on sikins on the web (mainly this forum :) ), but most are not clear enough.

But indeed, from what I have seen and what I remember, I agree with Michael. 2 colors within one panel is not very common.
But I would consider it just a variety within the very limited freedom of the artis who made it ;)

Best regards,
Willem

Back to the subject. variations in enamel on sikin crowns. ;)

Unfortunately I do not have any sikins with golden crowns, but fortunately I do have 2 rencong . Never really paid much attention to the enamel pattern. so this is an interesting occasion to take a better look and to take better pictures.
Here they are.
1 has variation just between the panels
2 has a intersting variation within the panel.

Best regards,
Willem

Ps. + adding a picture of the complete hilts.

May we see pictures of both rentjongs, the whole pieces?

I second Jose's request: I also believe each does deserve a seperate thread!

Thanks for finally coming "public" with that fully-clad rencong, Willem! Those pieces with additional gold fittings on the pommel or all over do seem to offer some more variations, indeed.

Regards,
Kai

They're gorgeous...*drool*....!

Here is the third who would like to see them complete! :D :D ;)

The scabbards both has some cracks and repairs.
But if you insist, here are the complete pictures ;)

One of them already has a thread regarding an inscription
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=rencong+jawi

Thank you for sharing, both are beautiful! :)

OOO.........perdy, and thank you.

Thanks,

But the thread was about the crowns and its enamel work :)

Any more examples / variations around ?

Willem - thank you for adding your two fine rencong crowns; the one with the colour variations within each panel is amazing - perhaps unique?

Ok here is a picture of my rencong and sikin, both with emamel, for comparison. Note: on both the rencong and sikin crown complexes, the enamel alternates between green and black colors.

Black. interesting.
Are you sure it is black, also in daylight ?

I have seen black enamel but than on a silver rentjong which was (or is) in Erik's collection.

Well I double checked under yellow and white lighting with extreme magnification. Both my pieces have alternating green and black enamels.

I also found an interesting variations in enamel on the Sikin crown.