Molar hilt, sumatran keris for comments

Rick · 3rd August 2009, 03:48 PM

Very nice keris Gustav .
Your photography is quite acceptable too .

When I view hilts of this material I find it very hard to concentrate on the form; the material really distracts my eye .

I do like the stuff though .

lemmythesmith · 3rd August 2009, 10:30 PM

Hi all, that's a nice keris Gustav, I really like it. Does anyone know if these hilts were ever made of mammoth molar or are they of elephant molar only?

A. G. Maisey · 3rd August 2009, 11:01 PM

Yes, I've seen and been offered both hilts and scabbards made of fossilised material.But it is not a good choice. The material itself is not stable and over time tends to crack and crumble.

In Central Jawa the fossil material on the market comes from the fossil beds at Sangiran. In Bali the fossil ivory and geraham is imported from Alaska.

Gustav · 3rd August 2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemmythesmith

Hi all, that's a nice keris Gustav, I really like it. Does anyone know if these hilts were ever made of mammoth molar or are they of elephant molar only?

Thank you very much, Lemmythesmith.

Another question: knows anybody, which is the origin of the different colours of kinds of molar (sometimes red, yellow, orange)? Can it be the age? Is there a knowledge, from where the certain molar with some concrete colour comes?

(Oh, I see Alan has give an answer for a part of my question...)

Rick · 3rd August 2009, 11:14 PM

This is a petrified material; is it not ?

edit
*Sorry, I missed Alan's post on this .

Wouldn't the color be determined by the mineral content of the strata it was buried in ?

Sajen · 6th August 2009, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

This is a petrified material; is it not ?

edit
*Sorry, I missed Alan's post on this .

Wouldn't the color be determined by the mineral content of the strata it was buried in ?

Yes Rick,

it's like you write, the minerals in the ground give the different colours.

Here again my molar hilt.

Regards,

sajen

Rick · 6th August 2009, 07:24 PM

A fine example of the carver's art, Sajen .
Thanks for sharing .

Gustav · 6th August 2009, 09:10 PM

Yes, it is beautiful, Sajen

I regarded that thread many, many times.

Gustav · 3rd August 2009, 10:57 PM

Rick,

thank you for the compliment, but you can not imagine, how many pictures I have deleted, and even now, sharp is none of them

.

About molar:

Often, when material itself has such a level of expression, elaborate details can be even disturbing.

I think, more then in carving of some other material, the craftsmen must feel and bring out in the most atractive way the natural qualities of molar. I guess, belief of a magic quality appears, when the craftsmen must work with a "predictated" material, that already has its own expression. A little bit similar feeling appears in carved wood hilts with pelet (most of them probably kendhit).

(But this are only my thoughts, without any importance.)

3rd August 2009, 11:14 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	This is a petrified material; is it not ? edit Sorry, I missed Alan's post on this . Wouldn't the color be determined by the mineral content of the strata it was buried in ? Last edited by Rick; 4th August 2009 at 12:13 AM. Reason: Addendum*

3rd August 2009, 03:48 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Very nice keris Gustav . Your photography is quite acceptable too . When I view hilts of this material I find it very hard to concentrate on the form; the material really distracts my eye . I do like the stuff though .

3rd August 2009, 10:30 PM	#2
lemmythesmith Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 93	Hi all, that's a nice keris Gustav, I really like it. Does anyone know if these hilts were ever made of mammoth molar or are they of elephant molar only?

3rd August 2009, 11:01 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Yes, I've seen and been offered both hilts and scabbards made of fossilised material.But it is not a good choice. The material itself is not stable and over time tends to crack and crumble. In Central Jawa the fossil material on the market comes from the fossil beds at Sangiran. In Bali the fossil ivory and geraham is imported from Alaska.

6th August 2009, 07:24 PM	#7
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	A fine example of the carver's art, Sajen . Thanks for sharing .

6th August 2009, 09:10 PM	#8
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,273	Yes, it is beautiful, Sajen I regarded that thread many, many times.

3rd August 2009, 10:57 PM	#9
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,273	Rick, thank you for the compliment, but you can not imagine, how many pictures I have deleted, and even now, sharp is none of them . About molar: Often, when material itself has such a level of expression, elaborate details can be even disturbing. I think, more then in carving of some other material, the craftsmen must feel and bring out in the most atractive way the natural qualities of molar. I guess, belief of a magic quality appears, when the craftsmen must work with a "predictated" material, that already has its own expression. A little bit similar feeling appears in carved wood hilts with pelet (most of them probably kendhit). (But this are only my thoughts, without any importance.)