Stone inlay question
 

I have an old Madura keris hilt in ivory that appears to have once had a cabachon inlayed to the centre of the stylised sun motif on its back.
The size would have been just a fraction under 8mm x 5mm and flat backed.

My questions are;
1/ Would this have been a stone or something else?
2/ If a stone, what type would it be?
3/ If it wasn't a stone, what would it be?

The recess retains old black pitch.

Thanks

Gavin

I know you must have thought about this by now,Gavin, but pictures wouldn't hurt the conversation. ;) :)

Indeed David but it is 0100hrs here in Australia and I write from work...a long way from my collections....It is the Donoriko type with a sun burst in the centre of its back.

I can wait… :)

Ta-da :-)

Nothing remarkable.

I reckon that's a sun spot.

But not a melanoma.... :p

Looks more like a coronal hole... :eek:

:rolleyes:

Gavin, it does indeed look like something once occupied this spot, but i'm not sure i could give any reliable answer to your question of exactly what it was. Very possibly a stone, but what type is a pretty open. I'm not sure i have ever seen a stone set into this type of hilt before so i have no precedent to draw from. :shrug:
It does look like someone my have chipped the ivory a bit digging the object out if that chip is a sign of that then it happened a little ways back.

It could have contained a sun with a face or eyes, that was chipped out because islam does not allow it.

Or a illustration of something in relation with the Dutch, destroyed by one that did not like to look at it any more.

Both only speculations, but a possibility.

Thank you very much for these ponderous thoughts