Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 14th May 2021, 09:50 AM   #1
Tatyana Dianova
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 678
Default Unknown Philippines or Javanese chopper

Hello all,
an unknown chopper came to me in an auction lot together with a Keris.
It is most probably from Philippines, or maybe from Java?
Any comments are welcome.
Attached Images
     
Tatyana Dianova is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th May 2021, 10:10 AM   #2
Athanase
Member
 
Athanase's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Paris (France)
Posts: 403
Default

Hello,
I think is from west Java, Sunda region.
Athanase is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th May 2021, 05:41 PM   #3
Tatyana Dianova
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 678
Default

Hello Athanase,
Thank you for your help!
Tatyana Dianova is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th May 2021, 07:56 PM   #4
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,410
Default

Hello Tatyana,

Séverin is correct, it coming from Sunda and it is called "arit", under this name I know this tools, but they are known in complete Indonesia and maybe also under other names.

Regards,
Detlef
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th May 2021, 08:03 PM   #5
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,410
Default

Here you can see a very similar one: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=arit
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th May 2021, 03:23 AM   #6
naturalist
Member
 
naturalist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 43
Default

My first time to saw this kind of blade was close to 30 years ago, at my best friend's home in Yogyakarta, where I come from. He said it's called Kudi.
I have been wandering around in West Java since 1995 to several mountains to climbed and did birdwtching, but I haven't seen this blade being used by people in West Java, btw I am living in West Java for 3 years now.
In the end of 2019, I went to a place called Petung Kriyono (Pekalongan), which is not far from the Central Java capital city, Semarang, just about 3hours. The village is surrounded by forest and has no cell phone connection, a blank spot. This area just well connected with a good road not long ago, approximately in the last 20 years. It is an ancient place, the civilization dated back to at least 1100 years ago, I think the civilization is as old as Dieng Plateau.
And for the first time, I saw this "kudi" being used by the farmer in their garden.
I could send the pictures to anyone here who willing to post the pictures to this thread. Just send me your email address.
If it is said from West Java because of the character of the handle, you could find these kind of wayang character in Central Java as well.
naturalist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th May 2021, 08:07 PM   #7
Tatyana Dianova
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 678
Default

Hello Sajen - it is very similar example indeed!
Thank you for the first hand information naturalist! I have sent you a private message.
Tatyana Dianova is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th May 2021, 02:01 AM   #8
naturalist
Member
 
naturalist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 43
Default

Have been asking around, it seems that I wasn't far enough wandering around my neighbourhood ..
It is still used in West Java as well.
Friends from Central Java (Pekalongan, Pemalang, and Tegal) and West Java (Garut, Majalengka, and Sukabumi) just said that it is still part of farmers tools.
The name itself definitely varies and sometimes in other places referring to different implement tools.
In Central Java, it's called as: cengkrong kembang turi (Javanese=> kembang ~ flower, turi ~ vegetable hummingbird (Sesbania grandiflora), arit bendo, and cengkrong. In this area, this blade is famous in sugarcane plantation. Where i saw this in Pekalongan/Petung Kriyono was in forest and coffee plantation.

In West Java: gaet, bengkrong, and ceblok (gaet kupas). People usually use this for weeding, cutting grass for their livestock, and harvesting their crops. There is gaet waluh (waluh~pumpkin) which smaller by the shape just perfectly similar.

Cengkrong in my place is referring to kind of this type of blade but the back also sharpened. Bendo in other part is referring to billhook, and also thick short and heavy parang
naturalist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th May 2021, 09:43 AM   #9
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,410
Default

Here the both pictures Naturalist (Anton) sent me by mail.

Thank you Anton!
Attached Images
  
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th May 2021, 07:57 PM   #10
Tatyana Dianova
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 678
Default

Thank you for the picture and detailed information!
Perfectly the same blade and scabbard! Any ideas, why a farmer's tool has sometimes a highly decorative handle like in my example?
Tatyana Dianova is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17th May 2021, 02:58 AM   #11
Rick
Vikingsword Staff
 
Rick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,258
Smile

Possibly to make it more attractive to people from 'away' to bring home as a memento of their visit?
Rick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17th May 2021, 08:39 AM   #12
Tatyana Dianova
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 678
Default

Tatyana Dianova is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19th May 2021, 05:01 AM   #13
naturalist
Member
 
naturalist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 43
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tatyana Dianova View Post
Thank you for the picture and detailed information!
Perfectly the same blade and scabbard! Any ideas, why a farmer's tool has sometimes a highly decorative handle like in my example?
We have community activities called "gotong-royong", it is very common in rural villages.
The purpose of gotong-royong mainly maintaining the environment-tidiness-cleanliness in the village, it can be cleaning all of the branches that have grown over the road, clean and maintain the irrigation, clean the cemeteries or building/repairing houses for the poor.
That kind of activity sometimes has less chance for your blades/tools will be damaged or hitting hard objects (rock etc) but definitely, in most cases, you have to prepare for the worst.
Many of them, if they knew that will have less chance for their tools will be damaged then bring the fancy one. And in every community, there will be some one that just wandering around giving order do the smart ass job with his mouth, most of the time he will have the fancier tool.
In West Java, where some of us believe that golok historically is a weapon but of course the others may thought that golok historically just a farming tool.
For golok, there is ordinary golok and golok sorenan.
Golok sorenan is a keeper or called as "simpenan" (it can be sacred or just because of high quality and truly dedicated as a weapon and also made from valuable high-quality material). The other just ordinary golok that you bring around your garden/forest.
What i would like to say is, men knew when the time to dress up or just play simple.
naturalist is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:38 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.