Sikin with fine laminated blade and gold inlay

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by Henk

Nice one Bill.

The hilt is not a replacement but original to the Sikin.

Henk,

You know more about these than me. I was going on the difference in quality between the blade, scabbard and hilt. My other sikin with the horn handle and a less fine blade has a much more elaborately carved hilt.

The one here seems to be a fine ensemble with a utility hilt. Any ideas why they would do this when they made this sikin?

[asomotif]

Dear Bill,

Check the various other threads on sikin / sikim.

Gold inlays are often combined with this type of hulu/hilt and a wooden scabbard. nothing unusual.

[kai]

Hello Willem,

Gold inlays are often combined with this type of hulu/hilt and a wooden scabbard. nothing unusual.

I believe this must be due to Acehnese adat restrictions: It's easy to spot the status swords but one would assume that gold inlaid blades with gold crowns and elaborately carved hulu pasangan and scabbards with ivory crosspieces did represent the top of the top. Since we never see anything like this, I'd guess that there are different categories of decorations which are incompatible due to social conventions; there may be royal vs. local ruler/judges pieces, ceremonial/kraton vs. nobility fighting pieces, etc. Looks like we need to collect more data to solve this puzzle!

Regards,
Kai

[asomotif]

decorations which are incompatible due to social conventions

Dear Kai,

Exactly what I mean. there are a lot of variations, but there is some pattern that does not follow our greedy logic of / More money / more gold / more ivory etc...
Sounds as a logical explanation that there where rules/adat about decorations.
I wonder if such detailled differences are descibed somewhere ?

Best regards,
Willem