Figural horn (possibly rhino) hilt

[Gustav]

Regarding wear, the most sensitive place on these hilts is the nose, and here it is very similar to some wooden specimens from Krisdisk.

[Sajen]

Hello Gustav,

I've followed the auction as well and think like you that the hilt is carved from rhino horn and think that we are not the only ones by the reached price. And I am also sure that the hilt have a very good age. Are you the winner of the auction? If so, good luck for removing the glue.

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

Originally Posted by Gustav

Regarding wear, the most sensitive place on these hilts is the nose, and here it is very similar to some wooden specimens from Krisdisk.

Actually, from my experience the place on these buta hilts that tend to receive the most amount of wear is along the backside as this is the area most often positioned into the palm of the hand when holding the hilt. You can see the extensive wear in this very old example from my collection below.
Of course we can only use wear as guide to age in a very approximate fashion and in the end it all depends on how much any particular piece has been handled in its lifetime. If it was collected early in its life and taken out of daily use it could still be old and not show as much wear. But it is really impossible to tell one way or the other, isn't it? 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. I can see why you suspect it might be rhino, but for me at least, i would not say that a definitive conclusion could be reached on that assessment based solely on these two photographs. It's a shame we don't have more detailed shots, especially a good close-up looking down on the grain from the top. Otherwise i think we are only guessing at this material. Hopefully, if the auction price went high on this piece as , the winner's gamble was rewarded.

[Gustav]

[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 )

[A. G. Maisey]

In Jawa people tend to regard wear to the back of the head as a sure sign of age in a figural hilt, and the corresponding part of other hilts is normally the place they look at if trying to guess at age of a hilt.

I tend to agree with this, but I also recognise that protruding parts of a figural hilt face do mostly show wear on older hilts.

As to material, yes, it might be rhino horn --- it does look like it in the photo --- but I've seen this same sort of grained surface in hilts that were taken as kerbau (water buffalo) horn, ones that were old and dried out. I might even have an example at home, I'll see if I can find one in a couple of weeks.

Gustav, could you please expand on the these comments in your post #6 :-

1) 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

2) 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

3) Also modern replicas of these hilts mostly fail in reproduction of one very important feature

Thanks

[Jean]

I agree that the materials look like rhino horn but it should be confirmed in the hand.
Regarding the indicators mentioned by Gustav differentating this hilt from the modern ones, I see 4 of them:
. The shape of the worn-out nose with distinct nostrils.
. The earlobes (or earrings) have a different shape than on the modern hilts.
. The small carving above the tumpal motif on the front depicts the male organs according to Jensen.
. The carving at the base of the tumpal motif depicts the female organ according to Jensen.
Accordingly I believe that this hilt is very old.
Regards

[Gustav]

Thank you Detlef and Jean.

Alan, I will think about 1) and 2), yet I absolutely wouldn't like to answer the last one.

Today I received an e-mail with four pictures.

[A. G. Maisey]

Thank you Gustav.

Jean, I would be extremely reluctant to identify the form of the nose, or of the ears, or of any other part of this hilt as indicative of age.

Why?

Because current era carvings of this hilt form are, in general, copies of earlier hilts, sometimes fragmented earlier hilts, but those earlier hilts themselves were again copies of hilts that came down from a previous time.

The cheap modern productions that we generally see are turned out like Bali art carvings, but the high quality hilts made by m'ranggis use patterns and models that have been in the craftsman's family for generations. Certainly, these vary, but they vary in accordance with what one m'ranngi's family carves, as opposed to what another family carves.

Yes, the an acceptable reading of the abstraction between the figure's knees is of his reproductive organs, however, we must never forget that we are dealing with a society that is based upon death and renewal, so the way in which this symbolism is read can often be a little bit too simplistic.

When we consider the tumpal it is important to understand that an upright tumpal is representative of the gunungan and all associated icons, and also of the male element. The inverted tumpal is symbolic of the female element. The small yoni inserted in the base of the tumpal completes the Hindu-Javanese iconography of the Lingga-Yoni.

There are a number of ways that this symbolism can be interpreted, but it is perhaps sufficient to recognise that it is representive of Siwa's Shakti, Siwa himself being represented by the gunungan.

As a complete entity of lingga-yoni we have the symbolism of continual renewal --- plus a whole heap of other symbols.

What I've written above is all well known, nothing new or special there, but Gustav's words intrigued me, so I eagerly await his response.

[Jean]

Originally Posted by Gustav

Thank you Detlef and Jean.

Alan, I will think about 1) and 2), yet I absolutely wouldn't like to answer the last one.

Today I received an e-mail with four pictures.

Post deleted.