A rare Karo Batak knife for sharing & discussion

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Congrats on a good grab and a really fine piece!

I have recently purchased a rare Karo Batak knife with Djulung-Djulung blade but I wouldn't call this knife Andar-Andar since a A-A coming normally with a sukul (handle) nganda but this knife has a sukul djering. On plate 100 from Volz is shown a very similar knife (picture 9).

Andar-andar and julung-julung are synonyms AFAIK. Very much like kalasan, they do come in all sizes and with lots of different hilt types!

The knife is 51,4 cm long inside scabbard, 39,5 cm without, the blade alone is 29,5 cm and 7 mm thick near the handle, weight is 251 gram.

While this one may be on the shorter side of things, I'd opt for shortsword rather than knife as a description of function; as you know, the word piso refers to any kind of blade in Karo.

Handle is scribed buffalo horn with a possible low grade gold ferrule with silver bands, scabbard mounts from silver.

As already mentioned by others: a really nice hilt; the carved/cut motifs appear to be a bit unusual! Any hints that the ferrule may be fire-gilded?

Scabbard mouth is deeply carved in traditional manner.
The last two pictures show it together with two Karo Kalasans from my collection for size comparison.

A very nice match with the kalasan with blonde (or greenish) horn hilt!

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

Congrats on a good grab and a really fine piece!

Hello Kai,

thank you very much.

Originally Posted by kai

Andar-andar and julung-julung are synonyms AFAIK. Very much like kalasan, they do come in all sizes and with lots of different hilt types!

Not really sure about this. Volz describe only one sword/knife as Andar-Andar and this one has a somewhat other blade shape as the ones he describe as Djulung-Djulung and here he speak only about bladeshapes. But you are correct when we go with our member Albert. And the very few swords of this type I've seen has had always sukul ngangan.

Originally Posted by kai

While this one may be on the shorter side of things, I'd opt for shortsword rather than knife as a description of function; as you know, the word piso refers to any kind of blade in Karo.

Yes, any kind of blade is is named piso by the Karo. In hand I would call it a long dagger.

Originally Posted by kai

.....; the carved/cut motifs appear to be a bit unusual! Any hints that the ferrule may be fire-gilded?

Yup, have the same impression and frankly said is the carving much cruder as for example the scabbard mouth carving. A later addition? Possible IMO.
To be sure about the selut I need to let test it.

Originally Posted by kai

A very nice match with the kalasan with blonde (or greenish) horn hilt!

Thank's again, they are indeed a nice pair!


Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Someone can share an Andar-Andar for comparison? Would be nice to see other examples of this rare type.