Crowns on Aceh weapons revisited

[asomotif]

It has the same type of crown as discussed, but the upper crown is suassa instead of gold

Hi Maurice

Nice example. but the crown type with suasa is found on both sikins and rencong. (see example). Personally I like this type a lot, but technically it is much simpler, so I would assume it had also less status.
statistics is not my hobby, but my gut feeling says that this type of crown must have occured on sikins and rencong more or less in equal numbers.

The type that Erik means with the double crown made entirely from gold alloy with the elaborate carvings is a type of crown that I have seen on various sikins, but the only rencong I ever saw was in this Bronbeek article.

All together I don't think that we can get to the bottom of the meaning of the various crowns. You would need museum details not only with date of collection. but in fact also info on the rank / status of the original owner...

I am afraid that KNIL soldiers often took these weapons at a monent when they where not able to ask the former owner about their status. Not the prettyest time in our history.

Best regards,
Willem

[Maurice]

Hi Willem,

That is correct when you are talking about the golden crowns and I agree about the higher status of gold in comparrison with suassa.
I have images enough of sikins with one, two and three golden crowns.
It is also correct that the one from the Bronbeek article is the only rentjong that I also know with this variation of crown.

But I posted this one, because this is the only sikin I know with a golden crown and this suassa crown on top. I have seen it on rentjongs, but not on sikins..
But your image is the second one I see...

Kind Regards,
Maurice

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hi Maurice

Nice example. but the crown type with suasa is found on both sikins and rencong. (see example). Personally I like this type a lot, but technically it is much simpler, so I would assume it had also less status.
statistics is not my hobby, but my gut feeling says that this type of crown must have occured on sikins and rencong more or less in equal numbers.

The type that Erik means with the double crown made entirely from gold alloy with the elaborate carvings is a type of crown that I have seen on various sikins, but the only rencong I ever saw was in this Bronbeek article.

All together I don't think that we can get to the bottom of the meaning of the various crowns. You would need museum details not only with date of collection. but in fact also info on the rank / status of the original owner...

I am afraid that KNIL soldiers often took these weapons at a monent when they where not able to ask the former owner about their status. Not the prettyest time in our history.

Best regards,
Willem

[erikscollectables]

About the gold used on the double and triple crowns. Two collectors I know tested the gold on several crowns in their collection - all were made of a higer grade of gold than 14k!!!

So it does make some sense that many of these were harvested over time. I can imagine that up to recent times the gold was relatively of higher value that the "art".

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hi Maurice

gold alloy