Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Gustav · 13th January 2010, 12:17 AM

Dear All,

some thoughts regarding the iconography on this hilt (the first part).

I must apologise for I am making the first steps gaining some superficial knowledge about art of Java, so I probably should not post about this subject at all. Almost all of this is a pure speculation.

At first, the sun-motiv or the motiv with a face or flower and rays around it.

At the time of Mojopahit, there is a symbol called Surya of Mojopahit, which possibly was the royal emblem (or one of emblems) from the Mojopahit era. The components are a disc (often with an image of Shiva or Dewa Surya riding a horse or in a chariot), surrounded by eight beams of light or beams of light and eight Lokapala gods, who are guarding the eight cardinal points of the universe.

The most simple version of this simbol is a disc of sun with stylised rays of light.

Regarding the face in the middle, often such frontal faces (one of the images is a frontal face from Majapahit period) are occuring as Kala (Bonaspati on sarung, one of the images). There is a close relation between Surya and Kala, as I have understand Kala can be a manifestation of Surya.

Interesting for me is a Madura hilt from the collection of Alan (I apologize for using the pic from an older thread), where a frontal face in a tree of life is depicted. Kala as Bonaspati is "the Lord of the jungle", but of course this face doesn't have the Kala characteristics (the visible dents).

There must be some links from Majapahit to Madura. Trunojoyo, the rebel from Madura in 17 century, claimed a descendance from a Majaphit royal line.

I don't know, how much of this all was evident in Madura of 19 century. As I understand, an important subject in javanese art is the increasing "hiding" of things with important meaning, the dissolving of them within a longer period, the overlaying of some aspects with new meanings, which is evident also in keris.

There must be (in 19 or probably even 18 century) a fresh influence from european art, where this symbol, a frontal face with rays as sun, occurs widespread at latest since Rococo (1730 thies), regard the friderician Rococo in Potsdam, where it was also like a royal emblem and almost a witness of this style. I have no image sources from Versailles in 17 century, but I suppose it must be found also there. One should (if he is interested in the art of Madurese hilts) really study the british and dutch uniforms from this time, military orders, graphic designs used for important colonial papers, the battleship decorations...

It must occur also in some star forms of military orders, the rays there often are surprisingly close in shape to one of the Surya from Majapahit (image). This kind of "military" star (or a half of it) you can see on some helmets on Madurese hilt helmets : http://madurakeris.fotopic.net/p48012558.html

See the same hilt for draperie at the base, which is the same art as on the hilt of Danny and clearly european influenced : http://madurakeris.fotopic.net/p48012560.html

I deeply apologise for using links to pictures from Hidayats site as examples.

13th January 2010, 12:17 AM	#78
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,196	Dear All, some thoughts regarding the iconography on this hilt (the first part). I must apologise for I am making the first steps gaining some superficial knowledge about art of Java, so I probably should not post about this subject at all. Almost all of this is a pure speculation. At first, the sun-motiv or the motiv with a face or flower and rays around it. At the time of Mojopahit, there is a symbol called Surya of Mojopahit, which possibly was the royal emblem (or one of emblems) from the Mojopahit era. The components are a disc (often with an image of Shiva or Dewa Surya riding a horse or in a chariot), surrounded by eight beams of light or beams of light and eight Lokapala gods, who are guarding the eight cardinal points of the universe. The most simple version of this simbol is a disc of sun with stylised rays of light. Regarding the face in the middle, often such frontal faces (one of the images is a frontal face from Majapahit period) are occuring as Kala (Bonaspati on sarung, one of the images). There is a close relation between Surya and Kala, as I have understand Kala can be a manifestation of Surya. Interesting for me is a Madura hilt from the collection of Alan (I apologize for using the pic from an older thread), where a frontal face in a tree of life is depicted. Kala as Bonaspati is "the Lord of the jungle", but of course this face doesn't have the Kala characteristics (the visible dents). There must be some links from Majapahit to Madura. Trunojoyo, the rebel from Madura in 17 century, claimed a descendance from a Majaphit royal line. I don't know, how much of this all was evident in Madura of 19 century. As I understand, an important subject in javanese art is the increasing "hiding" of things with important meaning, the dissolving of them within a longer period, the overlaying of some aspects with new meanings, which is evident also in keris. There must be (in 19 or probably even 18 century) a fresh influence from european art, where this symbol, a frontal face with rays as sun, occurs widespread at latest since Rococo (1730 thies), regard the friderician Rococo in Potsdam, where it was also like a royal emblem and almost a witness of this style. I have no image sources from Versailles in 17 century, but I suppose it must be found also there. One should (if he is interested in the art of Madurese hilts) really study the british and dutch uniforms from this time, military orders, graphic designs used for important colonial papers, the battleship decorations... It must occur also in some star forms of military orders, the rays there often are surprisingly close in shape to one of the Surya from Majapahit (image). This kind of "military" star (or a half of it) you can see on some helmets on Madurese hilt helmets : http://madurakeris.fotopic.net/p48012558.html See the same hilt for draperie at the base, which is the same art as on the hilt of Danny and clearly european influenced : http://madurakeris.fotopic.net/p48012560.html I deeply apologise for using links to pictures from Hidayats site as examples. Attached Images Last edited by Gustav; 13th January 2010 at 11:09 AM.