Rentjong with akar bahar hilt

[kai]

Hello Willem,

The blade scabbard and handle are all Atjeh.
No Gayo influences imho.

I also don't see any clear evidence which would suggest a Gayo origin. I'm not entirely comfortable with it being pure-bred Aceh though. At least the (brass?) end knob with stone doesn't look anything like traditional Aceh style IMVHO.

The silver may be a later addition maybe because the handle broke.

The silverwork is neatly done and definitely looks genuine and older than the knob (cp. the partly covered flow of lines which I find aesthetically disturbing). I can't remember having seen any rencong with a similar tail decoration though.


Another note: While the blade is traditionally crafted, it does show several forging flaws which are also not that commonly seen on higher-end (or above-average) rencong from Aceh; it is possible that this is an older blade and that the flaws became visible or more prominent from usage and cleaning: AFAIK this is more commonly seen with Gayo rencong. Quite weird IMHO.

Still a nice catch, Detlef! How good is the fit of the blade in the scabbard?

Regards,
Kai