Parang betino
 

In response to a suggestion by Vandoo in the Keris forum, I show the ceremonial weapon which has the hilt used in my Avatar. I believe it is called a parang betino. The hilt of mine seems to be Palembang work, but whether the whole thing is Palembang, or Javanese with a Palembang hilt, I don't know. Michael Backman had a wonderful example for sale a while ago, which appeared to be Palembang.
P. Holstein, Contribution à l'étude des armes Orientales. Inde et Archipel Malais, vol. II, pl. 50, item 149 (described, p. 164, as a Batak golok) has a blade of similar shape, without openwork decoration; a similar weapon is illustrated in Stone, Glossary, p. 365, fig. 14 (under 'Miscellaneous knives'). Rita Wassing-Visser, Royal gifts from Indonesia (1995), p. 175 (pl. 167) includes a photograph of one almost identical in shape and mounts, with larger openings in the blade (and engraved rather than inlaid silver lines), described as a ceremonial West Javanese parang betino (in the Royal collection before 1884). See Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, under Sumatera Selatan, item 360-5322, for a similar item.

Wow. Nice. So glad to see this.

Thank you for sharing! :) Just beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful!!! Could you possibly post a close-up of the hilt so we could see the carving better? Thank you for posting this for all to enjoy.

Robert

wow! What a magnificent piece. Thanks so much for letting us have a peek!

Wonderful piece - best type I have ever seen yet - thanks.

WOW!! ITS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL, ITS MUCH BETTER. :D
I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS TYPE BEFORE AND IT SEEMS TO SHOW INFLUENCE FROM OLDER FORMS. WAS IT OF HINDU WITH INDIAN INFLUENCE OR PURELY ISLAMIC IN ITS CEREMONIAL USE OR PERHAPS SORT OF A MIX? WOULD IT ONLY BE USED IN CEREMONIES BY PRIESTS AND WHAT SORT OF CEREMONIES?
THANKS FOR SHOWING IT IS A BEAUTY. :)

Thanks for sharing, it's the best I have seen so far (and I have handled six of them in my own and other collections).
Could you please also post a couple of close ups of the hilt and ferrule?
I would place yours as the Palembang area based on the ferrule and blade features close to the hilt, too.

Michael

Thank you all, for your kind and generous praise of this item, of which I am very fond.
Vandoo - alas I do not know the answers to your questions, but would like to know more about this type of 'weapon', if anyone can enlighten me, please.
Thank you Michael for confirming that it is Palembang; it is good to know that such an expert as yourself admires it.
I attach a few more pictures in response to requests (and please excuse poor photographs).

Again, it's a beauty! ;) And can confirm now that it is a typical Palembang carving. Look this keris hilt from Palembang.

Regards,

Detlef

Excellent inlays on this one! Thanks for posting!!!

:eek: :eek: My heart is broken!!! what a beautiful piece!!
Congratulations and thanks
carlos

Thanks for the close ups.
As Detlef brought up it's related to the best carved Palembang JD-hilts.
I am quite picky nowadays but this is just astonishing!!!
It's much better than the one in the Royal collection.

Michael

PS It's interesting that the open flower carvings on the blade resembles
the Malay work from Banjarmasin (like sometimes seen on Beladah Belabang)?

I have found this Color Lithograph from 1888 from Albert Racinet and I could see your piece
best regards
carlos

Thank you all for your comments. Michael, such praise from the owner of such fabulous barong is praise indeed, and thank you for the intersting comment about the Malay work. Carlos, thank you very much for the Racinet picture - fascinating. Please can you tell me the title of the book from which it comes? His books Le costume historique, and L'ornement polychrome were both published in 1888 by Firmin Didot publishers; was it one of these, or some other title?

Bump...was the answer ever found?

I have got to put in my praise here! That is just astonishing! Stunning Majestic! Hands down one of the most beautiful ivory carvings I have ever seen!

I am intrigued by the construction - is it a two-piece setup where the handle is one piece and the crest is another attached? The yellowish tone to the convex part of the handle plus the overall shape of the handle itself could mean marine ivory, specifically a tooth from the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - maybe with a crest of elephant ivory? Is the side of the crest also carved?

It really is beautiful. Have you thought about having it professionally photographed? I'd buy a photo for sure! :)

Thanks so much for sharing!


All the best, - Thor

ANOTHER FEATURE I FIND INTERESTING IS THE BLADE APPEARS TO HAVE A BOLSTER BUILT IN LIKE IS USUALLY ONLY FOUND ON SPEARS. IT IS MORE DECORATIVE THAN MOST BOLSTERS BUT DOES APPEAR TO BE INTRIGAL WITH THE BLADE. aNYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS UNUSUAL FEATURE?