Inlaid Kris and Punang

[nechesh]

Originally Posted by Wayan

"These are not "human" figures, they are gods."

Well, golly gee....tell a Hindu something he doesn't know! Of course they are Gods! Siva, Dewi Tara, Dewi Sri, Wishnu....ALL these Gods are rendered in human form! BUT! Not anywhere in Indonesia after the 17th century except in Bali, Lombok (among the Balinese Hindu population) and a few other pockets where the Majapahit eventually fled in the 16th century.

And just for accuracy, in Bali anyway, raksasa is NOT a God! Raksasa is a demon figure.

Well Wayan, if you go back and reread my post i didn't say that raksasa was a god. I am as aware of his demon status as you are that the others ARE gods. But like the gods that are depicted, raksasa is also in human form and is quite prevailent in Java, even past the 17thC. Perhaps the laws of Islam aren't so cut-and-dry as as you believe. Obviously these hilts exist, i own at least a couple of them. Maybe you need to re-think this belief of yours?