Crowns on Aceh weapons revisited

[erikscollectables]

Was able to visit the Bronbeek Museum this weekend.
Unfortunately it is no langer a small heaven for those interested in the military history of the Dutch East Indies - it dropped from the first place in my list of favourite museums in the Netherlands....

There are still a few good Aceh weapons on display among which the rencong in the photo from Willem with triple crown and golden back on an ivory handle.

Also a peudeung with the handle totally covered in gold (I think the same as in Zonneveld...) - still looking for one like that - tips are most welcome

But no longer the Aceh flags and the large amounts of ethnographic weapons they had in the previous set up.

Will post pictures of the rencong with crowns later on.

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by erikscollectables

Was able to visit the Bronbeek Museum this weekend.
Unfortunately it is no langer a small heaven for those interested in the military history of the Dutch East Indies - it dropped from the first place in my list of favourite museums in the Netherlands....

There are still a few good Aceh weapons on display among which the rencong in the photo from Willem with triple crown and golden back on an ivory handle.

Also a peudeung with the handle totally covered in gold (I think the same as in Zonneveld...) - still looking for one like that - tips are most welcome

But no longer the Aceh flags and the large amounts of ethnographic weapons they had in the previous set up.

Will post pictures of the rencong with crowns later on.

Oooooohhh, what a pity. They hide away all good things in the depots!
And what are they displaying? Just wait a few years, and all there will be left is a puppet-show!

Do they still exhibiting that mandau in a showcase, or did they stuff that one away behind doors also?

Regards,
Maurice

[erikscollectables]

Gone and none on display...

Originally Posted by Maurice

Do they still exhibiting that mandau in a showcase, or did they stuff that one away behind doors also?

Regards,
Maurice

[erikscollectables]

Here three nice items that are still on display in Bronbeek Museum.
*Sikin Peusangan with a single crown in suassa or copper - a first for me this type of single crown.
*Rentjong with total handle covered in gold
*Rentjong with crowns and back in gold on hippo ivory

[asomotif]

Thanks Erik for the nice pictures.
Indeed a shame that they hide away all weapons.
Modern times. Musea are meant to educate and build bridges.
Weapons are often not a part of that.

Ps. the rencong with the gold covered hilt was used in the attack on Luitenant Kolonel W.B.J.A. Scheepens in Oktober 1913.
He died from the wound on 17th october 1913. A few days after the attack.

[Battara]

Beautiful gold covered rencongs. Thank you for posting.

[erikscollectables]

Originally Posted by asomotif

the rencong with the gold covered hilt was used in the attack on Luitenant Kolonel W.B.J.A. Scheepens in Oktober 1913.
He died from the wound on 17th october 1913. A few days after the attack.

I looked up the story - I remembered reading it. It is in the book Atjeh by Zentgraaff (pages 49/50).

Scheepens was the military and civil commander of the city Sigli in Atjeh at that time. As civil commander he was also acting as the local judge.
There was a dispute between the son of an oelama (local religious leader) and a regular citizen were the son was hit. In court the regular citizen was punished to 3 months imprisonment - to the father this was not satisfactory and after some discussion over this with Scheepens he took his rencong by surprise and stabbed Scheepens in the belly. The oelama was immediately struck down by the Atjeh men and did not survive.

As an experienced Atjeh fighter Scheepens knew the stab was likely to kill him. But his pregnant wife was also there and in order to calm her down he acted as he was not badly hurt and suggested to drink a glass of champagne on the good outcome. After which he walked to the hospital. Despite the surgeon that was in the meantime noticed and came down from Koeta Radja in a hurry he was not to be saved and he died a few days later.
He was a very highly decorated officer with a lot of experience in Atjeh.

The son of the oelama was rejected by his mother after this for not standing up for his father and defending him there. It is a sad history for all that were involved.

And the rentjong is still in the collection of the Bronbeek museum! A very interesting piece of history - I hope this will be explained there as I did not know this was that infamous rentjong and there was no text at all.

Erik

[asomotif]

Thanks Erik for sharing the whole story on Scheepens.
Strange that they do not mention this in the museum.

*Sikin Peusangan with a single crown in suassa

I checked the "Legermuseum"at Delft, and they also have a sikin peusangan with a single suasa crown. Their collection nr 11149
Nice example that is, with a buffalohorn scabbard mouth and the scabbard covered with 3 large sections of silver.
I forgot my camera, so no pics.

Best regards,
Willem