Pestle ?
 

A friend presented me this item. I suppose it could be a small (9,5 cm) pestle, made of buffalo horn. I hope that more informed friends can identify its origin from the style of decorations. Thanks in advance !

Photos published soon

pestle
 

Here they are

Do you mean a pestle as in "mortar & pestle"? Because i am pretty sure it is not that kind of pestle for a number of reasons.

Surely GIO means something else; right, GIO ? ;).

Pestle ?
 

Thanks for your attention, David and Fernando. No, I didn't mean something else, I really cannot imagine what it is. It has no hole at the end, and it is rather small to be a hilt, so I imagined it could be a small pestle.

Hello Gio,

I think you mean such betel crusher pestles like in the picture, these both pestles I have recently bought but they have not arrived yet. Both are from Lombok. These I know from other examples I've handled and don't think that your small handle is from a Lombok betel crusher but could be from one of another region. :shrug: But could be from a small pisau also.

Regards,
Detlef

I think you mean pestle handle, correct?
Looking at your pictures I have a feeling that your handle is East Javanese or Madurese, but just my feeling.

Yes, it could be an unfinished (it has not yet the hole) betel crusher hilt. As to the origin, I remember having seen already the figure with the two "eyes", arms and hands, but I don't remember where.
Thanks again for your help

Hello Detlef
Nice items and good carvings. All seem really old.

Best regards Gio

Ah, now I understand completely, the handle has no hole for a tang. It shows patination so it was most probably in use. But a handle which isn't meant to fit a tang! And only this small piece of horn wouldn't be very good to crush betel nuts IMVHO. ;)
So when we summarize, it was most probably in use (patina), it has no hole for a tang, it's small and very likely a handle. I think you have to investigate in this direction.. ;)
I have no idea yet, sorry.

Regards,
Detlef

A talisman or jimat??

Hi Gio,

Thank you! :) From time to time I get offered nice items from Indonesia, so this two old betel crushers and the wooden Bali/Lombok handle. Two nice old taji ayam are in this parcel as well.

Best regards,
Detlef

Horn does not make a very effective crushing tool, so I'd not opt for pestle.

The end looks rather like a truncated cone; it might fit into some sort of socketed apparatus, the nature of which I couldn't guess.

Hello Detlef,

can you show us the taji ayam?

Thanks and best regards
Peter

Hello Peter,

We have had a thread special for this items, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=Taji+ayam

Until now I don't know why it got closed, I would be glad to post them there, I have a third one before. Maybe the mods can open this thread again and I would be glad to show them there! :shrug:
I don't want to hijack this thread and I would be reluctant to start a new thread about taji ayam!
Anyway, here two pic. of my three boxes.

Best regards,
Detlef

Hello Detlef,

Thanks for the pictures. These are very nice boxes.
Since I bought the book Kotak Taji by van Donk, I've been also looking for such a beautiful piece.

Best regards
Peter

Hello Peter,

By me is the book on my wish list! :):D Like Alan wrote in the given thread they are hard to come by and most of the time very expensive, sadly.

Best regards,
Detlef