Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Keris

A. G. Maisey · 20th December 2012, 08:43 PM

First and foremost, let me be very clear:-

Jean, my remarks were not an attack upon you, nor upon anybody else.

I am simply try to get some solid evidence for the "hippo ivory" thing. As I have already remarked:- I have never heard mention of hippos until a few years ago. Why?

Jean, there is not challenge to trade links between Maritime SE Asia and Africa and the Middle East. It is established fact that trade was carried on for hundreds of years; the Malays began to extend trade links in about the 5th century, and there are populations of Malay people in a number of other countries, including a large presence in Madagascar --- just off the coast of Africa. There is no need to prove any connection between Maritime SE Asia and places far west, that connection is well documented and not at all open to challenge.

There is no difficulty at all in presenting a logical argument that hippo ivory could have made it to SE Asia, and could have been used in hilts.

But in my questioning post I did not ask for re-iteration of possibilities, beliefs nor logical argument. I asked for something slightly more positive.

In respect of this material only appearing in Sumatera and Peninsula hilts, well, maybe. These are the only hilts that have that pistol grip like curve that requires maximum manipulation of the material; in a Javanese or Balinese hilt the same material could be used and the ugly flaw of a dotted line avoided. The material could have been used, but we simply do not know.

I have a number of the hilts of the type that is associated with hippos. A couple have dotted lines, most do not. Mix these hilts, close your eyes, and try to identify one from the other. I've tried this, and I cannot. They all feel exactly the same. As to patina:- with the ones I have, he patina on the ones with dotted lines is pretty much the same as on the others, which I believe are marine ivory. Possibly others have a more sensitive touch than do I, and can differentiate on this basis, but I cannot.

I have a moderate collection of ivory pieces , and over 100 ivory keris hilts. Some pieces of known whales tooth do have colour variation on inside and outside, others do not.

Rasdan, thank you for your input. In my experience ordinary people in Indonesia do not differentiate between one kind of ivory and another. Its all "gading", even tagua nuts are referred to as gading by non-specialists and non-dealers. Why? Because to ordinary people all ivory -like materials look the same . Thus, if we have a colloquial expression --- " no use for horn if you've already got ivory" one could not reasonably expect a differentiation in colloquial usage.

If in Malaysia supposed hippo now brings a higher price than other ivory, it would interest me to know when this began to occur. I am inclined to believe that here we have evidence of input from the western world affecting the Malay market. Not dissimilar to the well known Keris Majapahit example.

Gigi ikan is a term that I would never expect to hear in Indonesia from a person with no keris connections, nor dealer connections.

Now, we've had a recitation of belief. It has been interesting and I accept it as belief. Maybe even entrenched belief. Is there anything just a little stronger out there?

20th December 2012, 08:43 PM	#44
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,697	First and foremost, let me be very clear:- Jean, my remarks were not an attack upon you, nor upon anybody else. I am simply try to get some solid evidence for the "hippo ivory" thing. As I have already remarked:- I have never heard mention of hippos until a few years ago. Why? Jean, there is not challenge to trade links between Maritime SE Asia and Africa and the Middle East. It is established fact that trade was carried on for hundreds of years; the Malays began to extend trade links in about the 5th century, and there are populations of Malay people in a number of other countries, including a large presence in Madagascar --- just off the coast of Africa. There is no need to prove any connection between Maritime SE Asia and places far west, that connection is well documented and not at all open to challenge. There is no difficulty at all in presenting a logical argument that hippo ivory could have made it to SE Asia, and could have been used in hilts. But in my questioning post I did not ask for re-iteration of possibilities, beliefs nor logical argument. I asked for something slightly more positive. In respect of this material only appearing in Sumatera and Peninsula hilts, well, maybe. These are the only hilts that have that pistol grip like curve that requires maximum manipulation of the material; in a Javanese or Balinese hilt the same material could be used and the ugly flaw of a dotted line avoided. The material could have been used, but we simply do not know. I have a number of the hilts of the type that is associated with hippos. A couple have dotted lines, most do not. Mix these hilts, close your eyes, and try to identify one from the other. I've tried this, and I cannot. They all feel exactly the same. As to patina:- with the ones I have, he patina on the ones with dotted lines is pretty much the same as on the others, which I believe are marine ivory. Possibly others have a more sensitive touch than do I, and can differentiate on this basis, but I cannot. I have a moderate collection of ivory pieces , and over 100 ivory keris hilts. Some pieces of known whales tooth do have colour variation on inside and outside, others do not. Rasdan, thank you for your input. In my experience ordinary people in Indonesia do not differentiate between one kind of ivory and another. Its all "gading", even tagua nuts are referred to as gading by non-specialists and non-dealers. Why? Because to ordinary people all ivory -like materials look the same . Thus, if we have a colloquial expression --- " no use for horn if you've already got ivory" one could not reasonably expect a differentiation in colloquial usage. If in Malaysia supposed hippo now brings a higher price than other ivory, it would interest me to know when this began to occur. I am inclined to believe that here we have evidence of input from the western world affecting the Malay market. Not dissimilar to the well known Keris Majapahit example. Gigi ikan is a term that I would never expect to hear in Indonesia from a person with no keris connections, nor dealer connections. Now, we've had a recitation of belief. It has been interesting and I accept it as belief. Maybe even entrenched belief. Is there anything just a little stronger out there?