What's your Avatar?

BluErf · 28th January 2007, 12:01 PM

Haven't been to the mainboard for a while.

My avatar is a middle period tajong from Pattani/Kelantan, characterised by relative small size, modest crown and simpler carvings. The hilt has an old add-on janggut, which would suggest that this was an early form without janggut. Probably from a time when the tajong and coteng was still largely similar.

The hilt has an extensively-repaired buah pinang, which was sheared off diagonally a long long time ago. One of the shoulder also had material loss, and was patched. It's really one old survivor. Swasa accent added by me, to restore it back to glory.

Valjhun · 28th January 2007, 08:23 PM

Hi!

Mine is one of the most intimidating weapons I had ever see (and own

)

DaveA · 28th February 2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valjhun

Hi!

Mine is one of the most intimidating weapons I had ever see (and own

)

Wow, fantastic! I have a special liking for the split blades. This one is a beauty.

Iain · 28th February 2013, 04:56 PM

Mine's just a brass hilted takouba.

DAHenkel · 1st March 2013, 04:13 PM

Nik Rashidin Nik Hussein was a master hilt carver from Kelantan who I’ve mentioned before on this forum and who for many years was my friend and mentor. Unfortunately we lost him far too early, at the age of 46, due to multiple myeloma. However some months before he left us, despite ill health, we managed to travel to Pattani together to visit friends and see some of the best extant pieces in collections there. During a visit to a well known dealer in Narathiwat I dug out a badly abused but highly unusual keris with a very rare, almost unique sheath. It was missing its buntut and its hilt had severely split due to long neglect. Abang Din however loved the piece and insisted that I buy it, poor condition notwithstanding. Which I did, and once back in Kota Bahru duly handed it over to his brother Nik Rashidee to restore.

Months later Abang Din passed on and not long after I returned to Kelantan to pay my respects to the family. Although still grieving, Nik Dee still remembered to do the restoration work on my keris. However we had a small problem in that we did not have a hilt that suited the piece. And so, on an afternoon, sitting in Abang Dee's shop I spotted a loose hilt and sheath in the bottom of a case. Without much thought, I picked it up and plonked it on the aforementioned keris, showing it to Rashidee when he came back into the room.

I will never forget the look on his face..."David," he said, "Arwah Abang has been busy settling all sorts of unfinished business since his passing...people who had things of his have returned them, debts long forgotten have suddenly been settled...that hilt was carved for another keris but Arwah wasn't satisfied with the way it looked with the blade and sheath and asked me to return the blade to him some months before his passing. But that hilt, it fits your keris perfectly." And so it has remained with the keris and this is the keris which is my avatar. My final gift from my Guru...who now rests peacefully till the end of days.

chregu · 11th March 2013, 06:13 PM

Hi
my avatar is a copy of the Swiss dagger (ca 1570), which was prepared for the 700th anniversary of Confederation. birth day gift from my wife for my 25 birthday. it hangs on the wall in the living room.
chregu

Battara · 11th March 2013, 06:59 PM

It is a gorgeous piece, thank you for sharing.

Battara · 28th January 2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluErf

Swasa accent added by me, to restore it back to glory.

I have always loved your avatar. YOU MAKE SWAASA?

Not as easy as one would think. I think my friend and I were the first to have made swaasa in the Western Hemisphere. You did a nice job.

Thank you Katana. IT was an ebay purchase, believe it or not, years ago and with bad pictures and I was the only one bidding on it.

asomotif · 26th February 2013, 11:37 PM

Look what you can find strawling through the forum

My avatar is a hardwood statue depicting an "aso", the Borneo dog / dragon motif. hence : asomotif.

check out this website :
http://www.mytribalworld.com/dog%20m...0art%20mtw.pdf

Battara · 27th February 2013, 04:14 AM

I have always found the aso fascinating.

Yours is the most complete aso form I have seen, well, outside of a mandau that I once owned and sold (now wish I hadn't - great asos on it

).

T. Koch · 27th February 2013, 06:41 AM

Cool thread - a lot of wondering and admiring has been answered in this thread.

Great find Willem! - Mine will fit right in after yours: It's the crown motive of a carved Dayak trophy, showing tendrils shooting out from a center circle surrounded by a shape resembling a butterfly. Two polished shell-discs of the highly venomous cone snail, Conus sp. have been inserted and attached with damar. The quality of carving as well as a stunning old patina, makes it one of my most favorite pieces.

I also think it is time for some of our old members to update their avatar descriptions. Bill M., I'm no expert on these, so it might be Tibetan but it is definitely not human - at all!

Cheers, - Thor

kahnjar1 · 27th February 2013, 06:51 AM

No guessing here.....a nice Omani Khanjar with gold and silver thread work and a nice studded horn hilt.
Stu

Atlantia · 27th February 2013, 10:07 AM

I've taken to changing mine every few weeks.
They usually reflect my great love of metalwork or I occasionally use the hanger pod from the Battlestar Atlantia.
This one is a koftgari box to the 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry.

kahnjar1 · 14th September 2013, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

No guessing here.....a nice Omani Khanjar with gold and silver thread work and a nice studded horn hilt.
Stu

Since changed to a nice signed Middle Eastern Dullah (Coffee Pot)

Berkley · 27th February 2013, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T. Koch

I also think it is time for some of our old members to update their avatar descriptions.

Mine is now the goddess Durga seated on a lion, a closeup from the silver-mounted scabbard of a Nepalese kothimora kukri.

trenchwarfare · 28th February 2013, 05:57 AM

Mine is a select grouping from the WWI collection. US Model 1911, Mk1 Grenade, and 1918 Mk1 Trench Knife. German Model P08 Luger, Stahlgrenate, and Trench knife. Lastly, a set of US mfg steel knuckles, and British Mills Bomb.

28th January 2007, 08:23 PM	#2
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	Hi! Mine is one of the most intimidating weapons I had ever see (and own ) Attached Images

28th February 2013, 04:56 PM	#4
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,693	Mine's just a brass hilted takouba. Attached Images

11th March 2013, 06:13 PM	#6
chregu Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: switzerland Posts: 298	Hi my avatar is a copy of the Swiss dagger (ca 1570), which was prepared for the 700th anniversary of Confederation. birth day gift from my wife for my 25 birthday. it hangs on the wall in the living room. chregu Attached Images

27th February 2013, 06:51 AM	#12
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,731	Great Thread No guessing here.....a nice Omani Khanjar with gold and silver thread work and a nice studded horn hilt. Stu Attached Images

28th January 2007, 12:01 PM	#1
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	Haven't been to the mainboard for a while. My avatar is a middle period tajong from Pattani/Kelantan, characterised by relative small size, modest crown and simpler carvings. The hilt has an old add-on janggut, which would suggest that this was an early form without janggut. Probably from a time when the tajong and coteng was still largely similar. The hilt has an extensively-repaired buah pinang, which was sheared off diagonally a long long time ago. One of the shoulder also had material loss, and was patched. It's really one old survivor. Swasa accent added by me, to restore it back to glory.

1st March 2013, 04:13 PM	#5
DAHenkel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 125	Nik Rashidin Nik Hussein was a master hilt carver from Kelantan who I’ve mentioned before on this forum and who for many years was my friend and mentor. Unfortunately we lost him far too early, at the age of 46, due to multiple myeloma. However some months before he left us, despite ill health, we managed to travel to Pattani together to visit friends and see some of the best extant pieces in collections there. During a visit to a well known dealer in Narathiwat I dug out a badly abused but highly unusual keris with a very rare, almost unique sheath. It was missing its buntut and its hilt had severely split due to long neglect. Abang Din however loved the piece and insisted that I buy it, poor condition notwithstanding. Which I did, and once back in Kota Bahru duly handed it over to his brother Nik Rashidee to restore. Months later Abang Din passed on and not long after I returned to Kelantan to pay my respects to the family. Although still grieving, Nik Dee still remembered to do the restoration work on my keris. However we had a small problem in that we did not have a hilt that suited the piece. And so, on an afternoon, sitting in Abang Dee's shop I spotted a loose hilt and sheath in the bottom of a case. Without much thought, I picked it up and plonked it on the aforementioned keris, showing it to Rashidee when he came back into the room. I will never forget the look on his face..."David," he said, "Arwah Abang has been busy settling all sorts of unfinished business since his passing...people who had things of his have returned them, debts long forgotten have suddenly been settled...that hilt was carved for another keris but Arwah wasn't satisfied with the way it looked with the blade and sheath and asked me to return the blade to him some months before his passing. But that hilt, it fits your keris perfectly." And so it has remained with the keris and this is the keris which is my avatar. My final gift from my Guru...who now rests peacefully till the end of days.

11th March 2013, 06:59 PM	#7
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,200	It is a gorgeous piece, thank you for sharing.

26th February 2013, 11:37 PM	#9
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,224	Look what you can find strawling through the forum My avatar is a hardwood statue depicting an "aso", the Borneo dog / dragon motif. hence : asomotif. check out this website : http://www.mytribalworld.com/dog%20m...0art%20mtw.pdf

27th February 2013, 04:14 AM	#10
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,200	I have always found the aso fascinating. Yours is the most complete aso form I have seen, well, outside of a mandau that I once owned and sold (now wish I hadn't - great asos on it ).

27th February 2013, 06:41 AM	#11
T. Koch Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Mother North Posts: 189	Cool thread - a lot of wondering and admiring has been answered in this thread. Great find Willem! - Mine will fit right in after yours: It's the crown motive of a carved Dayak trophy, showing tendrils shooting out from a center circle surrounded by a shape resembling a butterfly. Two polished shell-discs of the highly venomous cone snail, Conus sp. have been inserted and attached with damar. The quality of carving as well as a stunning old patina, makes it one of my most favorite pieces. I also think it is time for some of our old members to update their avatar descriptions. Bill M., I'm no expert on these, so it might be Tibetan but it is definitely not human - at all! Cheers, - Thor

27th February 2013, 10:07 AM	#13
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	I've taken to changing mine every few weeks. They usually reflect my great love of metalwork or I occasionally use the hanger pod from the Battlestar Atlantia. This one is a koftgari box to the 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry.

28th February 2013, 05:57 AM	#16
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Mine is a select grouping from the WWI collection. US Model 1911, Mk1 Grenade, and 1918 Mk1 Trench Knife. German Model P08 Luger, Stahlgrenate, and Trench knife. Lastly, a set of US mfg steel knuckles, and British Mills Bomb.