Crowns on Aceh weapons revisited

[Battara]

Oh yes I saw that for sale by Czerny's auction weeks ago. I love it and thanks for posting it.

[Jentayu]

Another example of gold crown sewar in my collection. It has the same profile and style akin to sewar supposedly belong to the last sultan of Aceh that Micheal Backman sold lately.Are this the typical form and style donned for sewar reserved for royalty?

[Battara]

First: yes.

Second: What a beautiful piece you have and thank you for sharing this. Maybe one day when I grow up, I'll have one too...........

[Sajen]

I am not sure that pieces like this are only reserved for royalty? I think that wealthy people also could have owned thus a piece but frankly I don't know it exactly.
Beautiful piece with gold, suassa, ivory and akar bahar, very very nice!

Regards,
Detlef

[Miguel]

An absolutely outstanding piece thank you so much for sharing.
Miguel

[Battara]

Originally Posted by Sajen

I am not sure that pieces like this are only reserved for royalty? I think that wealthy people also could have owned thus a piece but frankly I don't know it exactly.
Detlef

A good question Detlef.

If I remember right, only nobility were allowed to have the gold crowns on their weaponry. This is restricted to the former sultanate of Aceh where these originate.

[asomotif]

I saw this cojang last weekend at Amsterdam Tropenmuseum.

More a ferrule than a "crown", but nice to share imho.

[Battara]

W W!

That cojen is gorgeous! Never seen one with that kind of ferrule before. Great carving too. Are there pictures of the whole thing?

[Jentayu]

Another example of royal Atjeh sewar

[Battara]

Well great - now i have to pick up my eye balls off the floor!

Insanely beautiful!

Do you have pictures of your whole piece as well?

[kai]

Do you have pictures of your whole piece as well?

I'd second that!

[kai]

Hello Willem,

More a ferrule than a "crown", but nice to share imho.

Yes, this is definitely a high-end status piece! The typical cojang status version comes with a plain suassa ferrule - this enamel version certainly belongs into this thread IMHO.

Regards,
Kai

[asomotif]

[QUOTE=BattaraThat cojen is gorgeous! Never seen one with that kind of ferrule before. Great carving too. Are there pictures of the whole thing?[/QUOTE]

The blade is quite ordinairy. I did not think of making a picture of the complete cojang, but found that I have parts of it, so here they are...

[asomotif]

This sewar was also on exhibit in The Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam,

[Battara]

Thank you gentlemen!

I just love all that gold, enamel, and gem work!!!

[Jentayu]

Another exmple of gold sewar from Atjeh's museum.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Jentayu

Another exmple of gold sewar from Atjeh's museum.

Wow, thank you for sharing!

[Battara]

W W!

That's CRAZY beautiful!!!!

What is the name of the Aceh museum?

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by Jentayu

Another exmple of gold sewar from Atjeh's museum.

Hello Jentayu,

Wonderful examples you are showing here.
The first with akar bahar and traditional enamel work.
Do you have information about the age of these 2 pieces ?

Best regards,
Willem

[asomotif]

Here is the picture from the gold sewar I found on the website of the Tropenmuseum. As for "tge age, they only mention "pre 1947" which is not very precise unfortunately

[Jentayu]

Hi Willem,

I am not sure of the age. The first sewar with akar bahar is currently in my collection and from my observation it has standard and the same features that the sewar sold by Michael Backman supposedly belonged to Acehnese Sultan but mine has a darker patina on its ivory cross guard compared to Michael's. While the other sewar currently belongs to a Teuku residing in Indonesia which is part of his family heirloom.

[Jentayu]

Another view of the sewar in my collection

[Jentayu]

Another sewar with suassa and gold with rather "not so royal looking" sheath. I believe this too is from exhibit in Aceh's museum.

[Battara]

Looks like the scabbard and sewar were married, not original to each other.

Also looks like someone tested the suassa on the bottom of the grip in the bottom photo.

[Jentayu]

Royal sewar that belongs to a Teuku in Aceh as part of their family heirloom.

[Loedjoe]

In post #90, Asomotif shows us a rencong with a quadruple crown, like the crowns on siwaih (e.g. posts #64, 74, 92).

Has anyone come across other rencong with similar quadruple crowns?

[asomotif]

Hello loedjoe,

Well noted. this rencong is definately a rencong, but has all the other Siwai features. The suasa ferrule and the quadruppel crowns.

I cannot recall a similar example. Maybe someone else does ?

Best regards,
Willem

[Loedjoe]

Many thanks, Willem, for your response. Let us hope others will see my question, and perhaps come up with other examples. (Although, as this rencong is now in my collection, I hope it remains unique!)

Best wishes, Tim

[kai]

Hello Tim,

Congrats! I hope we didn't drove up the price too much back then!

Your rencong is certainly special with those 4 rows; it's noteworthy that in this siwaih configuration, usually the 2nd row is quite tall and more rounded as if leaning towards a glupa configuration (usually one large row with more or less rounded tips and tiny indentations at both sides of the tip; and another small row of wide triangles at the base) while the uppermost 2 rows are puco style (triangles with acute tips). Most nobility rencong with "crowns" exhibit the puco configuration while a few have glupa (and yours the siwaih "mix" ).

If you go back to Erik's pic at the very beginning of this thread, the rencong with the silver hilt (2nd from right) seems to also lean towards a glupa base with a single puco row on top.

Incidentally, the rencong on the right hand side has a similar suassa-covered bolster and also this backward-directed duru seuke (base extension of the blade) which I associate with Gayo rather than Aceh. OTOH, the enamel work in your example seems to suggest an Aceh origin though...

Regards,
Kai

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Loedjoe

Let us hope others will see my question, and perhaps come up with other examples. (Although, as this rencong is now in my collection, I hope it remains unique!)

Till we find another one like this, we could consider it as unique!

Kind regards,
Maurice