FIGURAL HILTS -- Bird (Demon)
 

Dear All,

One type of figural hilts I sought much, is "tajong" hilt. Hopefully, I didn't get the wrong exampe. Or, is this "touristic" item?

What I am eager to know is the philosophy behind the motive, why bird or demon-bird? Regarding the form of beak, is it White-collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris), Black-capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata), Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)? But I think it is not Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting) or Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)...

Ganja, i am not too sure that it is any kind of bird at all. I think some answers might be found in the wayang. :shrug: :)

Post # 6 :)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=tajong

Good link Rick, but i notice that Ganja was in on that thread so i would imagine this info is not new to him. :)

Bird-headed deity? I don't find any figure such this in wayang world (it might be long nosed creature with teeth and fang). Jatayu -- in Ramayana epic, was really giant-bird, son of Garuda which saved Sinta (the wife of Rama) from demon king, Rawana... In Indian version, Jatayu is the Vulture King.

Thanks alot Rick, to remind me to the old thread. But it is likely I found another style of "tajong" hilt (or not tajong?), with hand-position like Jawa-demam. One with crossed-hand, and the other -- with different form of beak -- with its hands in its knees.. The second one is more bird-like figure.

Hi Pak Jimmy,
These seems to be Lampung, Sumatra type hilts. ;)

Yes, it is a 'Tajong' hilt but I don't think it's of a Northern Malaysian origin. The motifs and aesthetics are not the typical design. Let's wait for Kai Wee to comment. :D

Dear Shahrial,

Thank you, for the valuable explanation. If you don't mind, would you please post some pictures of the typical design of Tajong. I mean, the specific characteristics of Northern Malaysian or Pattani aesthetics. I think it will be good for me and other forumites to learn on this specific style in keris handle by comparing the difference...

Ganjawulung,

Kindly have a look at Dave's article here:
Tajong of the Northern Malaysian Peninsular.

Recommended reading, "Spirit of Wood: The Art of Malay Woodcarving" book. ;)

Dear Shahrial,

Thanks a lot, for your recomendation. I've look at the site in the web, and I've found it is indeed very useful information for me. And below, it is just an intermezzo, photo of a "souvenir like" sumatran hilt, with strange ornament (lizard?) above the demon-bird figure's head...

I guess thread #6 is a good refresher. :)

But I must say the carvers in Indonesia is getting better! The form is correct, although still a bit stiff, but the motifs are way off. The wood is not any of the traditional types used to carve tajong. I'm not sure if its Malaysian wood in the first place.

But anyway, things have come full circle - the garuda/rashaksa hilts originally from Java, that travelled up Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia to evolve into the tajong, has now "returned home". :)

You're right BluErf,
Compare this with the recent one I just post (also got it from Sumatra). BluErf can post a good example of Tajong hilt (from Kelantan, Northern Malaysia).

Thanks a lot, Newsteel, BlueErf,

Comparison is one of the best way for me to improve my knowledge on keris. So, thank you once again Newsteel. The comparison of examples you gave, is really a useful lesson to me.

Now I am still trying to search the answer of my own question: why did the people of afar choose the Jawa demam style as the root of their style? Is there any certain philosophy behind it?

The pictures below are only comparison too, on older style of "raksasa" hilt. The older one is a figural hilt which were used in Cirebon -- north coast of Central Java, just neighboring city of Tegal. (Cirebon Sultanate was founded by Sunan Gunungjati in the 16th century -- the same era as Demak Sultanate in north coast of Central Java too). People used to call the hilt style as "Rajamala" (Demon King). This hilt style, of course was not from Northern Peninsula...

And the other illustration, is the later style which is believed developping during King of Kasunanan Surakarta, Paku Buwana IV after he married a madurese noble in 18th century (PB IV 1788-1820). This Solonese rajamala style, is a combination of "nunggak-semi style" (the style which is used in Solo or Surakarta until now) and figural style of older rajamala...

The jawa demam is not related (at least not closely) to the tajong, or the rashaksa hilts that seemed to be the ancestor of the tajong.

If you look carefully at the posture of the arms and legs, you can see the difference between the jawa demam hilt, and the rashaksa hilts. The tajong's posture has been so stylized that if you had not seen the rashaksa hilts, you probably would not be able to make out that it is the vestigial representation of the rashaksa's posture. I believe someone had named the postures before, as well as the hand sign, or mudra. Anyway, the rashaksa is squatting, with hands on knees, with the thumb of one hand sticking out, while the little finger of the other hand is sticking out. This is supposedly a mudra to drive away evil.

At some point in time, some rashaksa changed posture, with one leg raised, the other leg down. This is possibly the rajalila posture. The arms have also changed posture, folded across the chest instead.

Now, how did the jawa demam come about? That's the million dollar question. The jawa demam is squatting, it has one arm folded across the chest, but it is not the same even with the latter day rashaksa. The rashaksa is both arms folded equilaterally in front of the chest. The jawa demam is one arm folded across the chest, holding on to the other shoulder, while the other arm is folded against itself. There is also the suggestion of a blanket of clothe over the shoulder that is held by the arm stretching across the chest. What is the origin of jawa demam? There seems to be no obvious answer.

The palembang hilt posted above (the garuda form with the long nose, not the lampung one) has the jawa demam arm posture and the squatting legs, but that's where the similarities end. The long nosed lampung hilt adopts the old rashaksa's posture.

Anyway, jawa demam and the tajong are not that related, at least posture-wise.

The form of raksasa hilt (more popular in Jawa as “Buta Bajang” or literally means “dwarf-giant”) as these pics below, also seen in older Cirebon hilts in many variants. Some of the Cirebon hilts also called as “nyamba” (like wayang figure in the pics) hilts… Samba is a certain name in Javanese wayang.

These are the pics of "buta or raksasa" hilts from my collection...

For comparison, here are pics of some variants of Jawa Demam hilts. I hope it won't waste your time in downloading the pics from this thread...

Another cirebon hit (Bima?)

CIREBON Ganesha Hilt
 

Thanks, Marco for the beautiful pics. Here is another examples of Cirebon hilts, ganesha motif...

i love this hit :)