Encounters of the Third Kind

Gustav · 3rd December 2010, 11:29 PM

The oldest examples (keris hilts), where this can be seen, are most probably the golden figural hilts on so called Gowa/Makassar keris. One of them you can see in (and on) van Zonnevelds book.

This is most probably a stylized lotos flower. Later developments are then the Tumpal motivs (stylised lotus is the filling of a single Tumpal) in a row, also with reversed Tumpal. Most of the times you can recognize the three petals and a round centre, which later can be sometimes understood as Bintulu.

This motif you can find from Sumatra till Sulawesi and Lombok, and it is in its origins hinduistic, the seet of a deity (on the base of a keris hilt). So it could be very well a relic from Majapahit times.

3rd December 2010, 11:29 PM	#12
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,280	The oldest examples (keris hilts), where this can be seen, are most probably the golden figural hilts on so called Gowa/Makassar keris. One of them you can see in (and on) van Zonnevelds book. This is most probably a stylized lotos flower. Later developments are then the Tumpal motivs (stylised lotus is the filling of a single Tumpal) in a row, also with reversed Tumpal. Most of the times you can recognize the three petals and a round centre, which later can be sometimes understood as Bintulu. This motif you can find from Sumatra till Sulawesi and Lombok, and it is in its origins hinduistic, the seet of a deity (on the base of a keris hilt). So it could be very well a relic from Majapahit times.