Encounters of the Third Kind

[David]

Here is a hilt that i am fairly convinced is from Madura.

[David]

Of course i think one could also link the pattern on these Javanese hilts to the first example, so it seems to be a pattern shared by the 3 islands at least.

[David]

Here's another Bali example, this time, unfortunately, not in my collection...

[Rick]

Doesn't that motif represent the Tumpal Throne ?

Male Female interface ?

Alan's piece shows only the Male component, right ?

[Gustav]

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.

[BluErf]

Not just Sumatra, but also in N. Peninsula (see silver coteng pic at the bottom), but the thing is that the form of the motif is not the same. In Sumatra/N Peninsula, the motif is fatter/rounder. Anyway, the hilt Alan posted has a style that does not seem to be from the Sumatra/Malay side of the Archipelago, but more of the rounder, more naturalistic forms I thought is usually found on the western side of the archipelago. Ok, this is my guess, but let's see how far off I am.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, its a representation of the tumpal motif.

Which places it almost certainly somewhere in South East Asia.

In Bali I think this form of the tumpal motif is referred to as "patera mas-masan".

This motif is one of a group of motifs that existed in the Dongson culture and descended into the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago from Northern Vietnam.

It can be found in a wide variety of applications, from pre-historic bronze drums , to Hindu-Buddhist architecture, to batik fabrics, and of course we can find it in keris hilts.

The other motifs in this group that are most frequently encountered are hooks, single spirals, interlocking spirals, and stylised anthropomorphic figures that are connected with ancestor worship.

In its Indonesian incarnation this triangular motif has a number of interpretations, and dependent upon where and how it has been used it might be interpreted as Mt. Meru, The Tree of Life, a symbol of plenty, a protective device to deflect negative influences, amongst other interpretations.

So --- the other places that we've seen it are in S.E.Asian art, and especially Indonesian art.

Would anybody care to look closely at the execution of the carving and and the way in which this tumpal motif has been rendered?

Perhaps these things may provide a clue.

This hilt is 124mm. (a little under 5inches) long.

[drdavid]

Alan, what is the line around the lower abdomen seen on the front view, is it a belt or just a ridge.
david

[Jean]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Would anybody care to look closely at the execution of the carving and and the way in which this tumpal motif has been rendered?

Perhaps these things may provide a clue.

This hilt is 124mm. (a little under 5inches) long.

Hello Alan,
OK , the hilt is bigger that I expected so it is actually a kris hilt.
According to the unpublished book from the late Bambang Harsrinuskmo "Ukiran dan hulu keris", he shows some rather similar hilts which he calls as primitive style and he attributes them to West Nusa Tenggara (Lombok, Sumbawa, and Sumba) or "Bali or surroundings". He also shows one similar piece but with a carved selut which he says was used by Balinese priests. However we know that Pak Bambang was not a very reliable source of information outside Java.... Sorry I cannot add pictures as I only have a poor quality photocopy of the book.
Personally besides the single tumpal motif I don't see much Hindu influence in this type of hilt.
Best regards
Jean