Piso Sanalenggam with unusual hilt
 

I found this Piso S some weeks ago.
What's unusual is that it has a red-painted hilt, instead of the usual plain black horn hilt.
I have checked the Dutch museum picture archives but haven't found any other Piso S like this.
Does anybody of the forumites have any Batak blades, or other artefacts, with a similar painting of the motifs?

Michael

Hi Michael an nice one rare motif on the handle don't look Islamic motief


Ben

Michel if i have one like this :eek: surely i would be a very very happy man :)

What a beauty. I really like the wire wrap around the ferrule and the carvings on the scabbard.

Thanks all,

Any input on the red-coloured hilt?

Michael

Michael i can suppose that the colours are rather same to the colours that Batak people use to paint their out-house decoration panels and lions (singa)sculptures. Also the chain pattern can be a batak motiv.
About batak... There is a very very beautiful new book about their art. The name is "Batak sculptures". Thios book is completely full of awesome photos never seen (also weapon's pictures!!)

I have "Batak sculptures" and it it really beautiful! Highly recommended. Think I paid about $45 plus shipping. Will look trough it and see if there are any red handed pisos.

The colors, red (our visible world), black (underworld) and white (Spiritual world) are similar in several cultures, even as far north as Africa, as far south as PNG, down to Australia as well as many cultures in between.

But I would agree with Marcokeris about the Batak chain motif.

Thanks Marco and Bill.

I also have the new Batak book by Sibeth but I will be away from home until Monday to check it. (It's quite heavy so it could be worthwile to pick it up in a museum shop instead of having it shipped.)
On the colours it's of course always a bit dangerous to interpret too much in the meaning of similar symbols between totally different cultures.
Sometime it works and sometimes the same symbol has another meaning...
The chain motif I find Batak and as Ben mentioned it doesn't look like the Islamic motifs of the neighbouring people.

Michael

Likely the nicest one of these I have seen. With so much attention to detail and decor, I have to assume it is a status piece.

Thanks,

Back home again and I checked the new Batak Sculpture book by Sibeth and Carpenter.
7 different Piso S pictured in it where one had a resembling hilt as mine.
The one in the book was also red and black.
According to the book this sword was "connected with magical practises" among the Pakpak priests.

Michael