Hilt Identification

A. G. Maisey · 5th May 2024, 12:12 AM

Thank you Athanase & Kino.

We now have a pretty good collection of opinions here, & combined with the ones that I already had prior to beginning this thread we have certainly covered a wide area.

Perhaps it is time for me to tell what I do know for certain.

I have had the dagger that this hilt forms a part of since 1953. In 1953 I was 12 years old, and my grandfather gave me his edged weapon collection, most of which had been collected during his journey back to Australia from England, after the cessation of WWI.

He had purchased this dagger in Medan, Sumatera, in 1920.

Between about 1980 & 2000 a number of Indonesian friends & associates have seen photos of this dagger, & none have identified it as Javanese, but several have commented that it was very probably made for somebody who had a strong connection with the Colonial Government or who had a Dutch or other European employer, or who was a member of a kraton sub-society.

They had formed this opinion because the belt hook is in the form of an acorn. Indigenous people who were in the employ of Europeans, during the Colonial era, often included motifs with a European reference into their dress. Think of the Madura keris dress from this era, and the royal alterations to formal clothing.

None of the Indonesian people who have seen the photo of this dagger were able to name with any degree of certainty its point of origin. None of these people were involved with the overall art of Indonesia, but all were very knowledgeable in matters to do with Javanese weaponry.

I have a fairly comprehensive library of books that deal with Indonesian art, craft & sculpture. I cannot find any pictures of any objects that are precisely the same as the design motif of this hilt.

However, I can find elements of this design motif in objects that originate from Sumatera, Nias(Nias is actually a part of North Sumatera), North Jawa, Madura, & Kalimantan. Kalimantan gets the most hits.

The opinions expressed in response to my question name a number of places as possible points of origin, but nobody has expressed a firm opinion. Currently we have:-
Nias, Mindanao, Sunda, Sumatera, Lombok, Philippines, Timor.

I apologise for being unable to show the complete dagger, but this would infringe Forum rules, apart from which it would also be something that I would consider to be unethical behaviour.

I thank you all for your opinions, but I guess that for the moment point of origin of this design motif will have to remain unknown.

5th May 2024, 12:12 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,736	Thank you Athanase & Kino. We now have a pretty good collection of opinions here, & combined with the ones that I already had prior to beginning this thread we have certainly covered a wide area. Perhaps it is time for me to tell what I do know for certain. I have had the dagger that this hilt forms a part of since 1953. In 1953 I was 12 years old, and my grandfather gave me his edged weapon collection, most of which had been collected during his journey back to Australia from England, after the cessation of WWI. He had purchased this dagger in Medan, Sumatera, in 1920. Between about 1980 & 2000 a number of Indonesian friends & associates have seen photos of this dagger, & none have identified it as Javanese, but several have commented that it was very probably made for somebody who had a strong connection with the Colonial Government or who had a Dutch or other European employer, or who was a member of a kraton sub-society. They had formed this opinion because the belt hook is in the form of an acorn. Indigenous people who were in the employ of Europeans, during the Colonial era, often included motifs with a European reference into their dress. Think of the Madura keris dress from this era, and the royal alterations to formal clothing. None of the Indonesian people who have seen the photo of this dagger were able to name with any degree of certainty its point of origin. None of these people were involved with the overall art of Indonesia, but all were very knowledgeable in matters to do with Javanese weaponry. I have a fairly comprehensive library of books that deal with Indonesian art, craft & sculpture. I cannot find any pictures of any objects that are precisely the same as the design motif of this hilt. However, I can find elements of this design motif in objects that originate from Sumatera, Nias(Nias is actually a part of North Sumatera), North Jawa, Madura, & Kalimantan. Kalimantan gets the most hits. The opinions expressed in response to my question name a number of places as possible points of origin, but nobody has expressed a firm opinion. Currently we have:- Nias, Mindanao, Sunda, Sumatera, Lombok, Philippines, Timor. I apologise for being unable to show the complete dagger, but this would infringe Forum rules, apart from which it would also be something that I would consider to be unethical behaviour. I thank you all for your opinions, but I guess that for the moment point of origin of this design motif will have to remain unknown.