Figural horn (possibly rhino) hilt

Gustav · 17th April 2016, 10:11 PM

[QUOTE=David]

I don't see any particular indicators in the style of this buta hilt that would definitively place it in the 17th century. Carvers have been producing this right up into the 20th century, though perhaps not in rhino horn.

QUOTE]

David, I have studied the kerisses and their hilts from old Kunstkammer collections for some years now, have visited many museum magazines in the last years and have seen and handled most of them. We have a very limited amount of pre-1700 hilts, perhaps less then a percent of figural hilts ever made let's say from 1500 to 1670, so each of them is singular and has sometimes quite unexpected features. Nevertheless, there are some indicators, which are typical for early figural hilts and doesn't appear on later Pasisir figural hilts, and this particular hilt has many of them. One of the keys is the symbolism within the Tumpal, and the state of development of the reversed Tumpal under the feet of the figure. Also modern replicas of these hilts mostly fail in reproduction of one very important feature.

Please take a close look at Chapter Banten in Krisdisk (attention to the noses, when a hilt is depicted en profile

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17th April 2016, 10:11 PM	#6
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,273	[QUOTE=David] I don't see any particular indicators in the style of this buta hilt that would definitively place it in the 17th century. Carvers have been producing this right up into the 20th century, though perhaps not in rhino horn. QUOTE] David, I have studied the kerisses and their hilts from old Kunstkammer collections for some years now, have visited many museum magazines in the last years and have seen and handled most of them. We have a very limited amount of pre-1700 hilts, perhaps less then a percent of figural hilts ever made let's say from 1500 to 1670, so each of them is singular and has sometimes quite unexpected features. Nevertheless, there are some indicators, which are typical for early figural hilts and doesn't appear on later Pasisir figural hilts, and this particular hilt has many of them. One of the keys is the symbolism within the Tumpal, and the state of development of the reversed Tumpal under the feet of the figure. Also modern replicas of these hilts mostly fail in reproduction of one very important feature. Please take a close look at Chapter Banten in Krisdisk (attention to the noses, when a hilt is depicted en profile )