Unusual Asian knife with monkey hilt for ID
 

This one was a recent pick up from our favorite online auction site. It was presented as a prayer knife of the Yao people of southern China and neighboring SE Asia. While I am not familiar with this group, I doubt that it comes from southern China.

One of the features putting me off southern China is the hilt, which is clearly showing a monkey in human dress. This looks very much like a representation of Hanuman, the Hindu god who figures prominently in the Ramayama. Indeed, there are images available of Hanuman in almost identical dress. The hilt is well carved from horn, and the pictures below show some orange material adhering to the hilt in several places, as if it may have been coated with something else at one time. The hilt has an iron ferrule on which the monkey is standing.

In looking for clues as to the origin of this knife, it is interesting to note the structure of the wooden scabbard held together by five thin braided bands of rattan. The braided material is actually recessed into the wood, a feature apparent in several of the close up shots of the scabbard. In my experience, this is unusual to find in mainland SE Asia and neighboring parts and I would be interested to hear of others' experiences with seeing this method of binding scabbards.

Also, along the scabbard are some faintly incised designs which I have tried to show in the pictures of the various panels of the scabbard. These seem nondescript okir style markings resembling intertwined vines for the most part. The top panel near the scabbard throat has a more expansive design that is hard to see. If anyone can make something out of these, please let know.

Perhaps the least distinctive feature of the knife is the blade which is quite slim, measuring 1.25 inches at its widest point, and covered in a dark patina. The edge is slightly recurving and the back edge is initially straight and about 3 inches from the tip it angles down. The distal 7-8 inches of the blade has retained a sharp edge.

I like this knife for its balance and elegant nature. It looks as though it was made in the late 19th C. judging from the patina on the blade and ferrule.

OAL 17 inches (18.5 inches in the scabbard). Blade 10.5 inches.

Ian.

Interesting piece Ian. I agree. This looks like a Thai Hanuman to me in form and style.

The dress on the figure seems more in the Thai taste than particularly Indonesian/Balinese in style .
The blade carries hints in profile of the Pihakaetta shape along with Thai .

Jose:

I agree that this depiction looks like the Thai version of Hanuman. It is interesting that the Ramakien (the Thai version of the Ramayama) features Hanuman more prominently. The Ramakien was written under the direction of (and some say by) King Rama I at the end of the 18th C. King Rama I also built the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the great temple Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha). Within this temple are many depictions of the Ramakien and of Hanuman. The picture below comes from that temple, and shows the typical face of the Thai Hanuman with open mouth and fearsome canine teeth (as also depicted in the knife above).

BTW, note the old style daab depicted in this painting--this form of daab dates to the earlier Ayutthaya period as best we can tell--and Ayutthaya was the seat of Rama's mythical kingdom.

Ian


Hanuman fights Totsakan's (Ravana's) army. Wall painting from Wat Phra Kaeo.