DOEHOENG KASOENDAN (A Soenda Perspective)

[Amuk Murugul]

Originally Posted by Jean

Thank you very much Amuk, I noticed such a peculiar scabbard in the book "The Kris" by Edward Frey, third edition, page 57, and I wondered about its origin, so is it from West Java? The hilt is reminiscent of the Ganesha hilts from Cirebon but with some differences.
Regards

Hullo Jean,
I am sorry to say that I am poverty-stricken wrt bibliography; so I pretty much have to rely on 'fieldwork'. In other words, I have not had access to the book you mention.
As I have previously mentioned in this forum somewhere, the motif on the scabbards represent tree-ferns (Cyathea, bot.). They symbolise the Soenda; 'the highlanders'. So the area covered is western Java (incl. part of Central Java).
The hilt is a stylised vegetal form of Ganesja= Gana Isja= lord of the Ganas, attendants of Siwa.

Best,