I believe i showed some of these before, but in a different context. :)

The horse-hilt in your first pic is unique, David... And I think, the last hilt in your last pic is ivory, isn't it? (Below, another pics on Madura hilt and sheath. A madurese mediium-size keris, with maduran gayaman -- madura people call it "gabilahan". Flying horse -- kuda panolih -- ornaments in both, the hilt and also in the gabilahan sheath).

KUDA PANOLIH
 

"Kuda Panolih" is the name of Sumenep kingdom's symbol. It depicts a flying horse -- in the Maduran mythology, it is the horse of Joko Thole (a Maduran army commander in the past). And the name of the horse is "Megaremeng" (cloudy sky). Joko Thole had a sibbling brother, named Banyek Wedi then became a nobleman in Gresik, East Java. That is mythology, of course.

This is another motif of "kuda panolih" with "crown" above the horse. Also, kuda panolih motif in the hilt...

Ganja, every time i look on the forum my photos seem to change order of appearance. Right now the ivory hilt is posted first. :shrug:
There are 2 horse hilts. One is bone and the other is wood. I don't think the wood one is unique because i have seen the same pattern before, though i don't think those were executed as nicely as this one. There is a lot of fine detailed carving on this one with many areas of through and through carving that are very skillfully done.
Your last ivory hilt is quite appealing to me. Thanks for posting. :)

Well, that answers my question.
I also find your hilt #7 quite unusual as it, IMHO, resembles a Ganesha hilt?
Or is it just the picture angle?

Here is another unusual Madura ornamental hilt, but of the Janggelan family.

Michael

David, your first horse-hilt looks like Bali "kocet-kocetan". But the second, I think it depicts "megaremeng" -- the flying horse of the Madura legend, Joko Thole. Pls regard the horse's wing carving... Usualy, "megaremeng" only carved in "kuda panolih" symbol...

Well, the bone one certainly isn't from Bali and i am pretty sure it is meant to be a horse, not a kocet-kocetan.
If you look around the base of the bone horse you can see the same circular designs that are around the base on the wood hilt.
I have indeed noticed the stylized wings on the wooden horse hilt and agree that it is meant to be a flying horse.

Hilt # 7 does have a similar profile to the Ganesha hilts from Cirebon, but that's where it stops. I cannot find anything in the motif detail that indicates that there was an intent to create a Ganesha.

I haven't seen a Janggelan with stars. Unusual.

Unordinary Madura Hilt?
 

Another example of a madura hilt, with rather unordinary motif... (Quite similar to David's hilt in #41)

Very nice .

Here's another . :)

Another couple.

Funny thing:- I've never seen any older examples of this type.

SWASTIKA ornaments?
 

Dear All,

Apologize me, for reviving the old thread of Maduran hilts. I am posting this, after BluErf said in another post about "swastika ornaments" in some Cirebon hilts. But here, I found in this hilt of my collection, a Maduran hilt with supposed to be "swastika ornaments" as BlueErf said...

Just an intermezzo....

GANJAWULUNG

Hi Ganjawulung,

this was the thread I meant, thanks for bumping it up again!
I have seen this swastika before in a Madura hilt, that was also in wood.
so it might be a rare but returning motif also in Madura.

Regards, Erik

Another .
Not too uncommon . :)

DOUBLE headed
 

Dear All,

This is a quite strange model of Maduran hilt -- a double-headed creature, with wild boar front face and bird rear face. Carricatural design?

GANJAWULUNG

The back, maybe represents garuda mungkur in a more realistic rendition..

Yes, thank you Shahrial, for your "sharp eyes" -- your very careful observation -- on such ornamentation. I've checked too in "Wayang Ensiklopedi" by Mr Bambang Harsrinuksmo (Senawangi Jakarta, 1999 -- Volume 2), and I found Shahrial is right...

"Garuda Mungkur" or usually spelled in a speed-javanese as "Gruda Mungkur" is a type of ornamentation in Wayang art (javanese) -- head ornamentation or crown ornamentation behind the head. Most styles in Javanese wayang -- whether it is Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Cirebon, Kedu, Kaligesing, Banyumas, East Java and Bali style -- they use "gruda mungkur" ornamentation in different expressions.

Not only 'raksasa' (demon, giant) wayang figures have 'gruda mungkur' ornamentation, but also some 'ksatria' (knight), 'patih' (prime-minister)and also some female wayang figures...

These pictures below, are some examples on "gruda mungkur" (litterally means 'garuda facing backward') in 'raksasa' figure and Anjani (a goddess in wayang, wife of Batara Guru the highest god)

GANJAWULUNG

Madura hilts
 

Another ... sorry for the picture quality. Its the best I can manage at this stage.

Beautiful work !

Rasjid,

Some very impressive examples.
Does the first one have a date of 1706?
The last one the Donoriko is great too!

Thanks for sharing, Erik

What an unusual donoriko! The proportions, form and carvings are all quite unique! :)

Definitely worth looking at for a long while! :)

Dear Rasjid,

Regarding the style of carving -- creative carving, not too conventional but sometimes too complicated -- did Jaknal make this hilt specially for you? (Jaknal -- one of the best contemporary Maduran ivory carver, died about a month ago in Madura. He was less than 60 years old...)

GANJAWULUNG

Great work! Even if i prefer a little less fat..but nice work!

Madura hilts
 

I agree, the donoriko is very thick and big, suitable for big keris.

Yes erikscollectables, It's 1706 but small size.

Ganjawulung, I got it (big donoriko) from Jaknal (his personal collection), but I don't think he made this one. It's different carving, compare with the new donoriko, I posted ealier, made by late Jaknal. It's his last piece.

regards,
rasjid

I suppose this is a Donoriko too?. I would like to know, so if would be so kind to can help me, please:)
I bought this ukiran only yesterday (with a lot of dirt and grease but it looked okay to me) so thats the reason why I'm "bumping" this item after all that time...

Hello Sjors,

yes it is a Donoriko hilt. But it look not so old to my eyes.

Regards,

sajen

Thanks Sajen,
Doesn't matter! Two packets of cigarettes, (in spite of the fact that I don"t smoke) would have cost me more!
So it's allways a bargain! :D

You'r probably right, maybe not what we call "old" but I'm sure it should be at least 60 years old or more because it's in the Netherlands since that time ..., like a lot of keris and keris handles.
I sometimes wonder if there's a country outside of Indonesia where you will be able to find more keris than the Netherlands?

For a price like this it's of course a bargain. :)

The Netherlands have indeed a big resource of keris and hilts and nowadays most of the time by better price than in Indonesia. :eek:

Regards,

sajen

You are probably right, Sajen. I know last year my "dealer" Yogya-friend has sent more than 1.000 kerises and handles to Holland, and also some to Malaysia, during a keris exhibition there...

But still, thousands of keris population in Jawa, Madura, Bali and Lombok. Old and new products. Yes, I've seen too, some Lombok dealers has dealt with Malaysian collectors too... That's keris life

GANJAWULUNG

Hello Ganja,

yes, still many good things you can get in Indonesia when look around but the prices climb up a lot! :(

sajen

Unfortunately I have not been to Indonesia yet...now I will wait a few years untill the youngest is 4 or 5 before we go. I do not like buying from photo's to much so almost all pieces I have were bought in Holland. Of course some the items were laready more recently imported by dealers here but most have been overhere sind the end of the '40s of last century...

A group of Madura handles and my favorite Donoriko in ivory and the favorite in wood in close ups.

Regards, Erik

It depends on where and from whom you get them. Jakarta is one of the best place to get all types of kerises of Indonesia...

Here is one of my recent collection. Quite unique Maduran patrem sheath -- with motif of "singa" (lion) and small Maduran patrem handle with "soldier" motif...

GANJAWULUNG

More close ups on the Maduran patrem handle...

GANJAWULUNG

Dear Erik,

our youngest son haven't been one year old when he go to Indonesia first time. It's no problem to travel in Indonesia with children.

BTW, nice collection Erik.

sajen

Wow, very nice patrem keris. Myabe I have to visit Jarkarta by my next visit in Indonesia. It's long time ago that I have been there (1992) but there I buy my first keris handle and by this start my collection! And until now it's one of my favorite keris handles.

sajen

And not to forget to visit The National Museum of Jakarta, Sajen. They have beautiful collections of Indonesian kerises in excellent dresses and excellent accessories too... Whether they are javanese, Riau, Palembang, Minang, Banjarmasin kerises....

And this is more keris sheath of my recent collection. A quite unique motif of sheath -- bird-motif. IMHO, it is a Maduran sheath...

GANJAWULUNG

Dear Ganja,

yes, this will be the main reason to visit Jakarta! It will be also nice to see a great collection of a private man over there!!! :D :D :D ;)

Very interesting and awesome sheat, terima kasih for sharing.

Detlef

Nice example of this form of dress. I don't think it is particularly unique as i have seen quite a few of this style, but yours has nice attention to detail. It has always been my understanding that this particular form was made for Dutch soldiers to bring home keris from Jawa back in the day. Sort of the original "tourist" keris. Perhaps others know different. :shrug: :)

Yes, probably you are right, David. Anyway, it is a funny motif -- not so mystical at all...

GANJAWULUNG