Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 244:
A rare form of a classic Indonesian dagger, called the rencong, this example in the Schmiedt Collection has handle in the classic form and called a Hulu Meucangge. This form ofhilt with a sharp ninety degree curve is found on most rencong. The blade of this example hasthe classic shape of down swept blade with an inside edge, while the handle has a fitting in theshape of a crown in silver with seven layers, a rare feature as most of these crowns have two orthree layers. The rencong is the traditional weapon of Aceh and Acehnese folklore ascribesmystical attributes and supernatural powers to dagger. The Acehnese say that the rencong takesthe shape of the invocation, "Bismillaah In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate"Leigh 1989)Leigh (1989) research indicated that the component parts of the rencong were likened to theindividual letters of the formal Arabic script huruf gundul, forming the phrase Bismillaah:The hilt of the rencong is in the shape of "ba"The decoration at the base of the hilt is "sin"The blade’s shape is "mim"The shape of the metal parts at the top of the blade is "lam"The base of the scabbard has the shape of the letter "ha"Together, "ba, sin, mim, lam and ha" make up the world, "Bismillaah"The length of most rencongs varies drastically from very short examples of 3-4 to those nearly20 in length but all are distinguished by the shape of the blade, which slightly undulates and ishollowed along its back. The underside of the blade has a protuberance called Duru Seuke, chiseled like the keris greneng.The example in the Schmiedt Collection is distinguished by the crown mounting which features asilver seven tiered crown, a rare if ever seen element. These crowns have a hidden meaning aslittle has been written of them but they bear a resemblance to the classic tumpal motif, triangulardesign. For people who believe it, the tumpal motif has a negative meaning because of thepointed triangle motif that symbolizes crocodile’s teeth but are otherwise magical or symbolic inmeaning.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 19 1/2" Blade Length : 10 1/4"References:1. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2001) Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago.Leiden: Art Books2. Leigh, B. (1989) Hands of Time: The Crafts of Aceh. Jakarta3. Utami, N.R., Pamadhi, H. An Axiological Study of Tumpal Batik Motif and ItsRelevance to the Character Education. Advances in Social Science, Education andHumanities Research, volume 327.Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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