Translation help on Sikin Panjang

[erikscollectables]

Originally Posted by Battara

I'd like to know if these types of sikim belonged to panglimas in general or those just part of the royal palace?

From what I have read the use of gold on weapons was limited to leaders and nobility by the Adat (local laws). Leaders can mean both worldly like a panglima (military leader) but also the village head or area (sagi) leader eg and religious like the iman. In the struggle against the Dutch all these played an important role and the leadership often (but certainly not always) had a noble background.
Nobility inhereted the right - leaders had to earn the right.
In a book I read the panglima got his "honour" sikin as it was called there after his military group was big and succesfull enough to be recognized.

The question which for me is still unawnsered is what is the difference in status between the number and/or type of crowns (puco is sharp in form and three rows of crowns and the glupa type with only two rows of crowns). None of the old or more recent books go into this.

And after that who could wear the other type of weapons with gold like the peudeung and siwaih (sewar). It seems these were even more limited - probably only higher forms of nobility which clarifies why these are even rarer to find.

[Battara]

Thanks folks. Helps my understanding. Erik, do you have any references I can read?

[erikscollectables]

Originally Posted by Battara

Thanks folks. Helps my understanding. Erik, do you have any references I can read?

When I joined the forum about 2.5 years ago I asked the same question - since then I have read and learned a lot.

Just wrote a small article on Aceh status weapons for a Dutch weapons collectors magazine - this is the reference list of books for that article:

1 Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago, Albert G. van Zonneveld, Leiden 2001
2 Rentjongs, G. Bisseling en P. Vermeieren, Antwerpen 1988
3 Catalogus van ’s Rijks Ethnographisch Museum, Deel VI - Atjeh, Gajo- en Alaslanden, H.W. Fischer, Leiden 1912
4 Atjeh, J. Kreemer, Leiden 1922
5 De Inlandsche kunstnijverheid in Nederlandsch Indië, Deel V – de bewerking van niet edele-metalen, J.E. Jasper en Mas Pirngadie, ’s Gravenhage 1930
6 Hands of time - The crafts of Atjeh, Barbara Leigh, Jakarta 1989

Only 1 and 6 are in English, otherwise in Dutch.

Of number 3 and 4 I know they are available for free on www.acehbooks.org in PDF.

Number 2 is part of a small series - this one not but the others of that series on Aceh weapons are available on Arjans website for free: http://www.mytribalworld.com/downloads.html

Hope this helps, Erik

[Battara]

Thank you so much Erik.