Rencong
 

Bought this Rencong lately with a saruek ulat in a package deal from a friend who is an antique dealer.
The sheath is missing its curved top piece that could have been from ivory or horn.
I first thought it was a crowned Rencong but Kai told me it is a saruek ulat.

Would love to learn more about it.

Hi Martin,

You will know already more about your nice rencong as others can add! :D
Has Kai told you something about the origin? I guess that it is a Gayo rencong, sadly the mouth piece is missing which would be able to pinpoint the origin a little bit better. It's a rare rencong, congrats. What is the handle material? When it is ivory it could be dugong ivory. I personally would polish up the metal parts of the handle.
Attached a pic of some rencong from my collection.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,

thank you for your reply, and you have a nice selection of Rencong as well, I did not get much more info on the Rencong of mine. I know now Rencong Gayo area with saruek ulat. I had from Erik a collector from the Netherlands that he once had a klewang type weapon from Gayo that had similar decoration. On the internet is not much to find either about this type most links come out by Vikingsword. So we will see if i can find more info on it.

Here a relevant picture from Volz.

The one left in up has a handle from akar bahar! Thank you Martin!

Regards,
Detlef

Thank you Detlef,

Interesting these images, do you have the the books by Volz? I like all the variations in weapons shown by you.

Sadly not!

This type of Rencong i found on the museum collection of the Met collection where it had the following description:

Dagger (Bade-bade) with Sheath
Sumatran, possibly Acheen

16th–19th century

This one also has a sleeve different than the crowned versions.

And Detlef, your rencong with akha bahar is also a beautiful example.

Thanks for chiming in, Detlef, while I was experiencing a busy time!

I see where you're coming from regarding a possible Gayo attribution. Martin, could you please provide a pic of the scabbard with the blade inserted (best position)? Also, does it feel like an original fit?

BTW, I and Gavin have both volumes by Volz - any additional details you like, Martin?

Regards,
Kai

Hello Martin,

Yeah, Erik's Luju Alang is a neat piece that went to Bronbeek.

BTW, the saruek ulat is not limited to Gayo origins. It is also commonly found with Luju/Sikin Lapan Sagi which is from Aceh proper, too.

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kai,

thank your for the extra info, i will have a look for these places, I just ordered the 1912 edition from: Volz, Wilhelm: Nord-Sumatra. Band II: Die Gajoländer. And it is on it's way from Berlin. Will take some pictures later today when i am home. The Rencong fits like a hand in a glove and it is the scabard that belongs to it. When my aquintance is back from Indonesia, i will ask him where he got the Rencong from so maybe i find out more.

Regards,

Martin

Hi Kai,

i also found a Luju Alang on pinterest no description further or where the picture came from but it has a sleeve with similarities with the rencong.

Hi Martin,

Handle sleeves are common with North Sumatran weapons, see for example a co jang from my collection or two of the rencongs I've shown.
So is also the sleeve by the sikin panjang you found on the net rather plain but embossed (I guess) while your rencong has a crown like sleeve in combination with a plain sleeve. I guess that the plain sleeve on your rencong is from suassa and the saruek ulat "crown" could be gold. So my guess is also that the handle is from a sort of (marine) ivory. Can you please post a clearer pic by daylight?

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef and Kai,
Just took pictures with a loud and daylight lamp.
And I truly believe it is Horn as it is soft to the teeth and ivory is hard

Regards,

Martin

Hi Martin,

Thank you for the pics! Handle material could be wood when I look at the attached picture.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,

i won't scrape the patina with a scalpel to find out, but i am allmost certain it's horn.

whenever your in Amsterdam your welcome and i show it to you.

Regards,

Martin

Hello Martin,

Thanks for the additional pics and details!

The hilt could be from albino waterbuffalo; however, judging from the surface where polished (as well as more matte optics where more patinated) and the visible pores & grain structure I believe I can make out, I'm siding with Detlef in guessing this might be wood, indeed!

Why haven't you polished the remaining metal ring?

More comments tomorrow...

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kai,

i didn't polish it yet because i also need to fasten it again. it's loose so i need to re-glue it. And from very close inspection with magnification you can see similar lines that are in horn. As a teacher in restoration of furniture and wooden objects i know my materials.

I only used a soft cloth for silver to rub the sleeve and the tip, i am still in doubt if i will use some Nikco a very fine polish material for precious materials.

Regards,

Martin

Thanks, Martin!

Ok, that should settle it - under magnification it's usually very obvious.


Sure, no full-out polish needed nor advisable - a conservative approach of light touching up without material loss will be best IMHO.

Regards,
Kai

Hello Detlef,

The asymmetrical decor found on status gliwang is a different beast IMHO. BTW, it seems to be a mainly ceremonial luju alang (vs the longer peudeueng panjang).

A proper saruek ulat is worked into a scale-like 3D structure by embossing (on both sides) and its margins bridged by some decor elements. With this rencong, the base of the gold saruek ulat was covered by a flat calyx-like ring of suasa and the other end, too (possibly another calyx or plain ring - too little left nor imprints to verify, it seems). While most likely also originally based on the lotus symbolism, these flat, undecorated rings are a far cry from the full-fledged calyx/crowns in puco or glupa form.

I don't know whether any simple, ferrule-like ring adjacent the blade bolster (as in your rencong) would also be referred to as saruek ulat in the originating cultures (if pressed, I kinda doubt it).

Regards,
Kai

Hello Kai,

I want to exprss exactly the same you stated, a sleeve isn't a saruek ulat so we can't compare the sleeve from the from Martin posted luju alang with the saruek ulat from the rencong in question! ;)

Regards,
Detlef

Thanks for clarifying, Detlef!

Actually, I believe the luju alang exhibits a genuine saruek ulat (here made from silver): It seems to have the scales in 3D.

These saruek ulat come in variety of qualities, materials, and construction details.

Regards,
Kai

Kai and Detlef,

i need to re-read everything, i allready read the whole thread about the crowned rencong from a few years ago, and more and more terms i didn't know. There is a whole history behind all the decorations on rencong's. I never expected there are so many layers. For me the rencong starts to live in a way but also makes me feel like a novice in collection edged weapons.

Thank you for all the thoughts and knowledge you share on the forum with me.

Regards,

Martin

Nice rentjong Martin !

Thanks :)