Five elements in a mendahk, is it magic?

[Interested Party]

Hugh good pictures would help. I honestly have no idea who the third hilt is supposed to represent. Off the top of the head, it could be one of the embassies of Islam to Java, a Hindu sage, or simply an ancestor. The third hilt shows a person in profile. the hair is dressed. this usually signals a signifies a character of non-demonic origin. The eye I can see is round. In wayang the eye shape reflects the characters inter spiritual state. The wider and rounder the eye the less spiritually centered the character is. In hilts it seems less of a hard and fast rule as Bayu has round eyes and looks straight ahead and not to down and/or to the side. To my understanding bulging eyes on hilts are usually demonic. Mr. Maisey says the newer the hilt the harder the identification. This hilt has angularly carved lines and little visible wear that I can see. Maybe Jean or Marco will chime in. They both have spent a lot of time researching culturally diverse hilts.

A question to the forum: would I be off base thinking that this hilt has Sumatran influences in the pattering of the vegetative motifs?

To reiterate more pictures of better quality and multiple angles would help garner responses to your questions.

[HughChen]

Originally Posted by Interested Party

Hugh good pictures would help. I honestly have no idea who the third hilt is supposed to represent. Off the top of the head, it could be one of the embassies of Islam to Java, a Hindu sage, or simply an ancestor. The third hilt shows a person in profile. the hair is dressed. this usually signals a signifies a character of non-demonic origin. The eye I can see is round. In wayang the eye shape reflects the characters inter spiritual state. The wider and rounder the eye the less spiritually centered the character is. In hilts it seems less of a hard and fast rule as Bayu has round eyes and looks straight ahead and not to down and/or to the side. To my understanding bulging eyes on hilts are usually demonic. Mr. Maisey says the newer the hilt the harder the identification. This hilt has angularly carved lines and little visible wear that I can see. Maybe Jean or Marco will chime in. They both have spent a lot of time researching culturally diverse hilts.

A question to the forum: would I be off base thinking that this hilt has Sumatran influences in the pattering of the vegetative motifs?

To reiterate more pictures of better quality and multiple angles would help garner responses to your questions.

More pics

[HughChen]

More pics