Unknown weapon

Nathaniel · 27th July 2011, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Here is a pic of something I sold about 8 or 9 years ago.

I was told by somebody who should know a lot more than I do about Indian culture and society, that it is a ritual razor. It was pretty big, maybe 12 or 14 inches long, however held like a razor it was quite easy to use as one.

Yes, its gold koftgari and the ferrule was gold.

I apologise for the photo, its a pic of a pic, done by artificial light at night, with P&P camera.

Wow, that is quite the fancy one! I've never seen one that decorative...just the simple utility pieces. Thanks for sharing! Always fun to see something you haven't seen before :-)

tom hyle · 29th July 2011, 01:47 AM

Tim, pretty sure yours is African

mohd · 29th July 2011, 02:37 PM

To me it looks like a Pisau Raut / Pisau Wali / Pisau Coret of Peninsular Malaysia or Penat of Sarawak

mohd

Tim Simmons · 29th July 2011, 06:03 PM

Can we take this further,

http://manzuritasuki.multiply.com/ph...alipisau_coret

Not very helpful? The visitor that suggested my piece was from Island Asia? could mean old Malaya or Borneo?

Tim Simmons · 29th July 2011, 09:05 PM

Untill more information is forth coming. I speculate that the example I have is some kind of Malaysian island sacrificial razor? Animist/Islamic fusion? Though I still do not see the carved decoration as Asian?

VANDOO · 5th August 2011, 11:45 PM

RAN ACROSS A EXAMPLE OF THIS FORM WHILE SEARCHING STONES, SEE PAGE 365 PLATE 459. FIG 4, SIAM RATTAN TRIMMING KNIFE 24IN. LONG, BLADE 8.5 IN.

A. G. Maisey · 6th August 2011, 03:09 AM

Barry, thank you for bringing this to our attention, but I feel that we are wandering away from the example that Sajen posted and that began this thread.

The one that I had , and have posted a pic of, was most certainly no tool, it was a very high quality, very refined implement, that carried quite a lot of gold. The daughter of an Indian Brahmin identified it as a ritual razor (she is married to friend).She may be right, or may be wrong, but in the hand and held as one would to shave, surprisely, it worked.

Sajen's example and the one I had appear to be vitually the same, except for the level of quality. However, we also see a procession of implements which are of similar overall form, but are clearly very different to the examples posted by Sajen and me.

I believe that this example shown in Stone is the most divergent yet.

VANDOO · 6th August 2011, 04:44 AM

NO DOUBT THE FORM CHANGED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY AND THE QUALITY AND DIFFERENT USES VARIED AS WELL. THE LONG CURVED HANDLE AND SHAPE OF BLADE ALOWS FOR USING PLENTY OF PRESSURE AS WELL AS HAVING SMOOTH STABLE CONTROL SO DELICATE WORK CAN BE DONE. I WOULD CERTIANLY CONSIDER SHAVEING ONES SELF OR SOMEONE IMPORTANT A DELICATE OPERATION AS IN THE LATTER YOUR LIFE MIGHT DEPEND ON A GOOD JOB.

I COULD SEE YOUR EXAMPLE ONLY BEING USED PERHAPS TO SHAVE A HEAD OF AN IMPORTANT PERSON AND PERHAPS IN DIFFERENT RITUALS DEFINITELY NOT A COMMON WORK KNIFE. LESS FANCY ONES MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS WORK KNIVES AS WELL AS FOR PERSONEL HYGENE OR IN SPECIAL RITUALS AS WELL.

ALL OF THSE KNIFES REMINDS ME OF THE SMALL SIDE KNIFE (PISAU RAUT) CARRIED IN THE BACK POUCHES OF SOME DAYAK WEAPONS. THESE KNIVES WERE USED TO CARVE WOOD AND WORK FIBER AS WELL AS TO GROOM THE OWNER, SHAVEING TRIMING HAIR OR FINGERNAILS ECT.
SO FAR WE HAVE SIMULAR KNIVES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRYS THE ONE IN STONES BEING FROM SIAM (THAILAND) IF USED ONLY IN RITUAL IT WOULD NO DOUBT BE USED IN BUDIST CEREMONY. NO DOUBT THERE WOULD BE DIFERENCES IN HINDU , MALAY, INDONESIAN AND OTHER CULTURES
UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY FOR CERTIAN ABOUT THE FIRST KNIFE IS COOL WELL MADE KNIFE AND PRETTY WOOD.

29th July 2011, 01:47 AM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Tim, pretty sure yours is African

29th July 2011, 02:37 PM	#3
mohd Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 41	To me it looks like a Pisau Raut / Pisau Wali / Pisau Coret of Peninsular Malaysia or Penat of Sarawak mohd

29th July 2011, 06:03 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,921	Can we take this further, http://manzuritasuki.multiply.com/ph...alipisau_coret Not very helpful? The visitor that suggested my piece was from Island Asia? could mean old Malaya or Borneo?

29th July 2011, 09:05 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,921	Untill more information is forth coming. I speculate that the example I have is some kind of Malaysian island sacrificial razor? Animist/Islamic fusion? Though I still do not see the carved decoration as Asian?

5th August 2011, 11:45 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	RAN ACROSS A EXAMPLE OF THIS FORM WHILE SEARCHING STONES, SEE PAGE 365 PLATE 459. FIG 4, SIAM RATTAN TRIMMING KNIFE 24IN. LONG, BLADE 8.5 IN.

6th August 2011, 03:09 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,084	Barry, thank you for bringing this to our attention, but I feel that we are wandering away from the example that Sajen posted and that began this thread. The one that I had , and have posted a pic of, was most certainly no tool, it was a very high quality, very refined implement, that carried quite a lot of gold. The daughter of an Indian Brahmin identified it as a ritual razor (she is married to friend).She may be right, or may be wrong, but in the hand and held as one would to shave, surprisely, it worked. Sajen's example and the one I had appear to be vitually the same, except for the level of quality. However, we also see a procession of implements which are of similar overall form, but are clearly very different to the examples posted by Sajen and me. I believe that this example shown in Stone is the most divergent yet.

6th August 2011, 04:44 AM	#8
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	NO DOUBT THE FORM CHANGED FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY AND THE QUALITY AND DIFFERENT USES VARIED AS WELL. THE LONG CURVED HANDLE AND SHAPE OF BLADE ALOWS FOR USING PLENTY OF PRESSURE AS WELL AS HAVING SMOOTH STABLE CONTROL SO DELICATE WORK CAN BE DONE. I WOULD CERTIANLY CONSIDER SHAVEING ONES SELF OR SOMEONE IMPORTANT A DELICATE OPERATION AS IN THE LATTER YOUR LIFE MIGHT DEPEND ON A GOOD JOB. I COULD SEE YOUR EXAMPLE ONLY BEING USED PERHAPS TO SHAVE A HEAD OF AN IMPORTANT PERSON AND PERHAPS IN DIFFERENT RITUALS DEFINITELY NOT A COMMON WORK KNIFE. LESS FANCY ONES MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS WORK KNIVES AS WELL AS FOR PERSONEL HYGENE OR IN SPECIAL RITUALS AS WELL. ALL OF THSE KNIFES REMINDS ME OF THE SMALL SIDE KNIFE (PISAU RAUT) CARRIED IN THE BACK POUCHES OF SOME DAYAK WEAPONS. THESE KNIVES WERE USED TO CARVE WOOD AND WORK FIBER AS WELL AS TO GROOM THE OWNER, SHAVEING TRIMING HAIR OR FINGERNAILS ECT. SO FAR WE HAVE SIMULAR KNIVES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRYS THE ONE IN STONES BEING FROM SIAM (THAILAND) IF USED ONLY IN RITUAL IT WOULD NO DOUBT BE USED IN BUDIST CEREMONY. NO DOUBT THERE WOULD BE DIFERENCES IN HINDU , MALAY, INDONESIAN AND OTHER CULTURES UNFORTUNATELY THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY FOR CERTIAN ABOUT THE FIRST KNIFE IS COOL WELL MADE KNIFE AND PRETTY WOOD.