Keris Sheikh Ahmad Qomi

[HangPC2]

Originally Posted by Nathaniel

and it turns out I was quite lucky too to find the same cabinet with the figure with the Keris...it is actually quite a famous cabinet...not only for the gentleman with the Keris, but also the European figure on the left panel door.

Thanks Nathaniel


European figure ?


France, Dutch or Portuguese ?

Originally Posted by Nathaniel

Can we clarify further whether the figure was supposed to be an Indian or a Persian? Merchants and envoys of both nationalities were present in Siam to be looked at, and King Narai is said to have dressed in Persian style, so there must have been aspects of clothing that for Thais signaled “Indian” (or “Mughal”) as opposed to “Persian.”

Example





Sultan Sulaiman (Phra Chao Mueng Songkhla)


Sultan of Singgora (Songkhla)


Ethnic : Malay


Costume : Ottoman clothing









Malay Turban ?


A 1602 Dutch engraving ( entitled “ Triumphal procession near the city of Patani ” ) of the entourage of Patani’s famed Raja Hijau (1584-1616). The Queen rides a decoratively harnessed elephant, accompanied by her maids-in-waiting (and plausibly her sisters, the future Rajas Biru and Ungu) on other elephants. Noblemen accompany the entourage, which has its full complement of Malay palace guards and soldiers in Portuguese-supplied helmets and battle gear. According to the original German and Latin text, two elephants in the vanguard carry armaments in honour of the late King and Raja Hijau’s father, Sultan Bahadur Shah.

Image: Isaac Commelin, “ Hoe de Koninginne van Patana haer gaet vermaecken ” in Begin ende Voortgangh van de Vereenighde Nederlandsche Geoctroyeerde Oost-Indische Compagnie (Beginning and Ending of the Dutch East India Company), 1646, extracted from the Atlas of Mutual Heritage, Nationaal Archief, Nederland (National Archive of the Netherlands).