Help with Identification please

[guwaya]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Thanks for your input Jean.

I've managed to track the first mention of this hilt style as "gana" to Garrett Solyom, in "World of the Javanese Keris".

As I have said, I've never heard this term used for it in Central Jawa, but Garrett apparently did, so I believe we can accept its authenticity.

He refers to a comparison with J.G.Huyser, Het vervaardigen van krissen, Nederlandsch Indie oud en niew, 1916-17, 1, pp.235-236, 547-561, 1917-18,2, pp.26-37, 102-114, 326-336,357-366,411-417,439-447. This is pretty comprehensive reference, but we cannot know exactly what the reference provides without looking at it. Does anybody have access to this source?

Garrett will be spending a few days with me in couple of weeks, I'll ask him where he first heard this term.

Hello A. G. Maisey, Hello to the Forum:

Here the citate from:
J.G.Huyse:, Het vervaardigen van krissen, Nederlandsch Indie oud en niew, 1917-18, 2, p. 33:

"................... door Dr. Hazeu beschreven als een menschelijk wezen "men zou zeggen een pas geboren kindje n hurkende houding, met narr boven bijna pits toeloopend hoofd, de gebogen armen stijf onder de kin en onnatuurlijk lange voeten en teenen. In vorm en houding gelijkt het sterk op enkele van die steenen 'leloehoer-beelden", die men hier en daar in adgelegen hoeken van West-Java aantreft, van 't zgn. Padjadjaran-type. De sporen van boreh, waarmee 't zeker-vaak besmeerd is, zijn nog zichtbaar. Sommigen beweren, dat zulke beeldjes ook wel 'gana-gana' heten. Volgens anderen is er eigenlijk verschil tusschen oendooek en 'gana'; een oendoek zou uitsluitend een zeepaardje, een 'gana' daarentegen een mensch of kind, 'kebo', 'sapi' of kip voorstellingen. ........................... ."

I hope this is of service for all and this is a wonderfull sample for my former promotion for old or older literature. As I must recognize - and this I declare without any aim to step on somebodies feet - it seems, that still most present so-called 'keris'-lovers read this critism but are still focused on to the popular picture books - naturally, its fare more compfortable.

Regards,
guwaya

[A. G. Maisey]

Thank you Guwaya.

Here is what google translator makes of this:-

by Dr.. Hazeu described as a human being "one would say a newborn baby n squatting position, with jesters over almost ring-shaped head, the curved arms tight under the chin and unnaturally long feet and toes. In form and attitude resembles strongly to some of the stones 'leloehoer images, which here and there in the corner of West Java adgelegen encounter, van' t called Padjadjaran type. The traces of boreh, which it certainly is-often smeared, are still visible. Some claim that such figurines called "gana-gana 'called. Others argue oendooek difference between fact and 'gana', one would only oendoek a seahorse, a 'gana' hand man or a child, 'Kebo', 'sapi' performances or chicken. .

I'm afraid that what I read here does not provide me with any sort of solid evidence that this "gana" or "gana-gana" is a legitimate usage. It seems that what is reported here is rather confusing. Can you clarify and substantiate?

Thanks.


I agree completely that older literature does contain much valuable information, however some of us do not have access to sources in the European languages, not only because of the physical absence of the publication, but also because of the inability to read Dutch, German, French & etc.

[guwaya]

[/QUOTE]


"I'm afraid that what I read here does not provide me with any sort of solid evidence that this "gana" or "gana-gana" is a legitimate usage ...... "

I agree completely that there is no real evidence that the term 'gana' is a legitime usage and under the the scholary view - I for myself - in scientific essays would prefer to describe such hilts as "natural grown hilts in abstract forms associated with .......". For myself I never heard the term 'gana' used by Javanese persons. Anyway, the articel from Huyser shows, that the term 'gana' was known in1917/1918.


"...... European languages, not only because of the physical absence of the publication, but also because of the inability to read Dutch, German, French & etc."

Naturally many people cannot speek or read a lot of languages but this literature exsists and if somebody wants to research seriously he has to find a way to arrange it, otherwise there will be a great lack in reseaches - just think about the articles and books written in Javanese or Indonesian. The sources are possible to get as - I can order copies in the Australia library and other states have the same system.

Nobody can expect that foreign researchers who are working deep and seriously translate their results into English - too many faults might happen in the translation which could leed to misunderstandings not wanted by the writer. There is a lot of old literature - important literature - about ethnographic studies in generell written in Dutch, German, French, Portugiese and other languages due to the fact that these countries have a long history. Literary research - a difficult and time eating matter, a full time job. So, the people prefer to take the easy literature (unfortunately uncritically) and I am nearly sure that in 20 years the serious informations among collectors are lost - sadly lost.

Thank you