Bangkol

[A. G. Maisey]

These three little hooks fall into the realm of extreme rarity. They are Javanese.

The two on the left are definitely bangkol. A bangkol is a hook that was worn on the sabuk and was used by a mounted warrior to hold the reins of his horse so he could use both hands to manage his weapons.

The hook on the right might be a bangkol, or it might be a hook used to support a thin strip of bambu that supports the sarung and holds it away from the body of a newly circumcised boy, in order to avoid irritating the wound.

The difference between these two similar items is that usually the hook used after circumcision is open on the bottom allowing it to be slipped over the belt, whereas the bangkol is closed at the bottom permitting positive fixing. However, often the circumcision hook has a hole in it somewhere that assists the fixing of the bambu, this one shown lacks the hole.

Iron and mamas, iron and gold.