Crowns on Aceh weapons revisited

[erikscollectables]

Why would this type of double crown be so rare on rencong?
I have three sikins of which two have this type of double crown and one a triple crown. I have 5 rencong with crowns (first picture in this thread) and none has a double crown like that. It seems to be very rare in rencong (I had not seen one before this picture).

Any input on the reasons for this would be welcome!

My logic says that if I had a sikin witth double crown I would also wear a rencong with double crown. I'll have to look closely at old pictures to see if this is the case or not....

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hi Erik, I assume they wil not have all Atjeh weapons on display.
This is another picture from this article by the former head collection of Bronbeek, Dirk Staats. (notice the Kupiah)

This rentjong with the forked handle, with the incissions and also the rare type of crown + inlays is indeed something I have not seen before.
It would be intersting to know if Bronbeek has provenance on their pieces.

[Maurice]

I think this one would be a nice addition in this thread.
It is a beautifull sikin that was in the personal collection of late Bisseling, who was a conservator of the Leiden Museum.

It is now in a friend's collection, and already a long time impossible for me to get it rid from him.

It has the same type of crown as discussed, but the upper crown is suassa instead of gold. This sikin has everything.
Attractive, gold, suassa, silver, ivory....you name it!

Maurice

[asomotif]

It has the same type of crown as discussed, but the upper crown is suassa instead of gold

Hi Maurice

Nice example. but the crown type with suasa is found on both sikins and rencong. (see example). Personally I like this type a lot, but technically it is much simpler, so I would assume it had also less status.
statistics is not my hobby, but my gut feeling says that this type of crown must have occured on sikins and rencong more or less in equal numbers.

The type that Erik means with the double crown made entirely from gold alloy with the elaborate carvings is a type of crown that I have seen on various sikins, but the only rencong I ever saw was in this Bronbeek article.

All together I don't think that we can get to the bottom of the meaning of the various crowns. You would need museum details not only with date of collection. but in fact also info on the rank / status of the original owner...

I am afraid that KNIL soldiers often took these weapons at a monent when they where not able to ask the former owner about their status. Not the prettyest time in our history.

Best regards,
Willem

[Maurice]

Hi Willem,

That is correct when you are talking about the golden crowns and I agree about the higher status of gold in comparrison with suassa.
I have images enough of sikins with one, two and three golden crowns.
It is also correct that the one from the Bronbeek article is the only rentjong that I also know with this variation of crown.

But I posted this one, because this is the only sikin I know with a golden crown and this suassa crown on top. I have seen it on rentjongs, but not on sikins..
But your image is the second one I see...

Kind Regards,
Maurice

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hi Maurice

Nice example. but the crown type with suasa is found on both sikins and rencong. (see example). Personally I like this type a lot, but technically it is much simpler, so I would assume it had also less status.
statistics is not my hobby, but my gut feeling says that this type of crown must have occured on sikins and rencong more or less in equal numbers.

The type that Erik means with the double crown made entirely from gold alloy with the elaborate carvings is a type of crown that I have seen on various sikins, but the only rencong I ever saw was in this Bronbeek article.

All together I don't think that we can get to the bottom of the meaning of the various crowns. You would need museum details not only with date of collection. but in fact also info on the rank / status of the original owner...

I am afraid that KNIL soldiers often took these weapons at a monent when they where not able to ask the former owner about their status. Not the prettyest time in our history.

Best regards,
Willem

[erikscollectables]

About the gold used on the double and triple crowns. Two collectors I know tested the gold on several crowns in their collection - all were made of a higer grade of gold than 14k!!!

So it does make some sense that many of these were harvested over time. I can imagine that up to recent times the gold was relatively of higher value that the "art".

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hi Maurice

gold alloy

[erikscollectables]

This is a beautiful example and a very rare one too.
This type of handle (hulu peusangan) and sheath are rarer than the common sikin. And the ones with crowns are even rarer again. Would not mind having one like that myself....

Originally Posted by Maurice

I think this one would be a nice addition in this thread.
It is a beautifull sikin that was in the personal collection of late Bisseling, who was a conservator of the Leiden Museum.

It is now in a friend's collection, and already a long time impossible for me to get it rid from him.

It has the same type of crown as discussed, but the upper crown is suassa instead of gold. This sikin has everything.
Attractive, gold, suassa, silver, ivory....you name it!

Maurice

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by erikscollectables

This is a beautiful example and a very rare one too.
This type of handle (hulu peusangan) and sheath are rarer than the common sikin. And the ones with crowns are even rarer again. Would not mind having one like that myself....

Well Erik,

Who won't????
But I am allready happy that I am able to hold and admire it every time when I visit the owner.;-)

[asomotif]

So it does make some sense that many of these were harvested over time.

Yep. Just imagine... These weapons where often already in dutch hands during the crisis in the 1930's. Useless gold laying around on your attic.
And they where around in WW 2. Food was scarce, sigarets and coffee where hard to get and than you find this piece of useless gold fixed to an old sword that was also not very usefull.

[erikscollectables]

There are quite a few of these harvested around - although still rare items.
Last week I saw a rentjong for sale with gold inlay and that had clearly had triple crowns and also the back part of the handle covered in gold - like the one left in the first photo in the thread. It must have been an incredible piece when it was complete....

Originally Posted by asomotif

Yep. Just imagine... These weapons where often already in dutch hands during the crisis in the 1930's. Useless gold laying around on your attic.
And they where around in WW 2. Food was scarce, sigarets and coffee where hard to get and than you find this piece of useless gold fixed to an old sword that was also not very usefull.

[Battara]

Where is this rencong?

Anyway, it would be of higher status to have 14k+ over swassa. Back then the moulding of the metal was not the chore like it is today.