Translation help on Sikin Panjang

Jonno · 2nd February 2011, 03:07 PM

Hi,

Who can help me to translate this gold inlay inscription?
Thanks,
John

asomotif · 2nd February 2011, 06:16 PM

I hope it says : send me to Willem...

What a lovely piece !
Quite unusual to have an inscription in gold inlay like this.
I hope some of the forumites can shed a light on this.

Battara · 2nd February 2011, 06:24 PM

Nice piece. Is there a scabbard?

Jonno · 2nd February 2011, 06:38 PM

unfortunately, no scabbet

Jentayu · 5th February 2011, 03:58 AM

Nice sikin you got there Jonno and it could be well belongs to royalty... the first picture that you posted, however, was up-side down

The inscription was written in arabic script but in Malay language or Jawi. It reads:

"Ini ialah sikin Teuku (Tengku) Yu (?) Adam" or "This sikin belongs to Teuku (royal title) Yu (?) Adam"

Jonno · 5th February 2011, 05:48 AM

Thank you!!!

I found only one Teukoe Yu Adam in Het Gedenkboek van de Marechaussee. (see Acehbooks.org)

Teukoe Adam alias Teukoe Di Oedjong as an important Panglima of Toekoe Di Mata Ie alias Teukoe Teukoe Di Paja Bakong (his real name was Teukoe Mohamed Chatib of the religion school in Paja Bakong)
Teukoe Adam was killed by a Dutch Marechaussee patrol in September 1903 under command of sergeant Duyts.

John

Maurice · 5th February 2011, 11:35 AM

Very interesting information!
That makes this sword even more interesting as it allready was...

erikscollectables · 5th February 2011, 12:08 PM

Indeed very exiting and an extremly rare find to have a name at all let alone a name that can be traced and is inlaid in gold - very very nice

Sajen · 5th February 2011, 12:22 PM

Agree with Eric and Maurice: beautiful to have a piece with informed history!

Battara · 5th February 2011, 07:37 PM

Oh I wish I had this on my sikim! Congratulations on a wonderful piece!

Jonno · 5th February 2011, 08:52 PM

Thank you all for your comment.

Here some other details of the sikin.

asomotif · 5th February 2011, 11:38 PM

Congrats !!
Very nice addition to any collection.
Military weapons that can be traced are plenty around...

But tribal named is rare, and than even tracable to the original owner.

Still hoped it would say "send me to Willem"

Very nice find. And in such good condition.
Where did you find it ? dutch collection ?

Battara · 6th February 2011, 01:12 AM

I'd like to know if these types of sikim belonged to panglimas in general or those just part of the royal palace?

Jonno · 6th February 2011, 07:50 AM

I think this kind of sikins where owned by Royals of a Sagi and they are usually not direct related with the Sultan family.
(In contrast to Java, Aceh had only one Sultan family)

Jonno · 6th February 2011, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asomotif

Congrats !!
Very nice find. And in such good condition.
Where did you find it ? dutch collection ?

Yes, Dutch collection.

erikscollectables · 6th February 2011, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

I'd like to know if these types of sikim belonged to panglimas in general or those just part of the royal palace?

From what I have read the use of gold on weapons was limited to leaders and nobility by the Adat (local laws). Leaders can mean both worldly like a panglima (military leader) but also the village head or area (sagi) leader eg and religious like the iman. In the struggle against the Dutch all these played an important role and the leadership often (but certainly not always) had a noble background.
Nobility inhereted the right - leaders had to earn the right.
In a book I read the panglima got his "honour" sikin as it was called there after his military group was big and succesfull enough to be recognized.

The question which for me is still unawnsered is what is the difference in status between the number and/or type of crowns (puco is sharp in form and three rows of crowns and the glupa type with only two rows of crowns). None of the old or more recent books go into this.

And after that who could wear the other type of weapons with gold like the peudeung and siwaih (sewar). It seems these were even more limited - probably only higher forms of nobility which clarifies why these are even rarer to find.

Battara · 7th February 2011, 02:03 AM

Thanks folks. Helps my understanding. Erik, do you have any references I can read?

erikscollectables · 7th February 2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Thanks folks. Helps my understanding. Erik, do you have any references I can read?

When I joined the forum about 2.5 years ago I asked the same question - since then I have read and learned a lot.

Just wrote a small article on Aceh status weapons for a Dutch weapons collectors magazine - this is the reference list of books for that article:

1 Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago, Albert G. van Zonneveld, Leiden 2001
2 Rentjongs, G. Bisseling en P. Vermeieren, Antwerpen 1988
3 Catalogus van ’s Rijks Ethnographisch Museum, Deel VI - Atjeh, Gajo- en Alaslanden, H.W. Fischer, Leiden 1912
4 Atjeh, J. Kreemer, Leiden 1922
5 De Inlandsche kunstnijverheid in Nederlandsch Indië, Deel V – de bewerking van niet edele-metalen, J.E. Jasper en Mas Pirngadie, ’s Gravenhage 1930
6 Hands of time - The crafts of Atjeh, Barbara Leigh, Jakarta 1989

Only 1 and 6 are in English, otherwise in Dutch.

Of number 3 and 4 I know they are available for free on www.acehbooks.org in PDF.

Number 2 is part of a small series - this one not but the others of that series on Aceh weapons are available on Arjans website for free: http://www.mytribalworld.com/downloads.html

Hope this helps, Erik

Battara · 7th February 2011, 07:57 PM

Thank you so much Erik.

2nd February 2011, 03:07 PM	#1
Jonno Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 51	Translation help on Sikin Panjang Hi, Who can help me to translate this gold inlay inscription? Thanks, John Attached Images Last edited by Jonno; 2nd February 2011 at 06:11 PM.

5th February 2011, 08:52 PM	#11
Jonno Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 51	Thank you all for your comment. Here some other details of the sikin. Attached Images Last edited by Jonno; 5th February 2011 at 09:12 PM.

2nd February 2011, 06:16 PM	#2
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	I hope it says : send me to Willem... What a lovely piece ! Quite unusual to have an inscription in gold inlay like this. I hope some of the forumites can shed a light on this.

2nd February 2011, 06:24 PM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	Nice piece. Is there a scabbard?

2nd February 2011, 06:38 PM	#4
Jonno Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 51	unfortunately, no scabbet

5th February 2011, 03:58 AM	#5
Jentayu Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 61	Nice sikin you got there Jonno and it could be well belongs to royalty... the first picture that you posted, however, was up-side down The inscription was written in arabic script but in Malay language or Jawi. It reads: "Ini ialah sikin Teuku (Tengku) Yu (?) Adam" or "This sikin belongs to Teuku (royal title) Yu (?) Adam"

5th February 2011, 05:48 AM	#6
Jonno Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 51	Thank you!!! I found only one Teukoe Yu Adam in Het Gedenkboek van de Marechaussee. (see Acehbooks.org) Teukoe Adam alias Teukoe Di Oedjong as an important Panglima of Toekoe Di Mata Ie alias Teukoe Teukoe Di Paja Bakong (his real name was Teukoe Mohamed Chatib of the religion school in Paja Bakong) Teukoe Adam was killed by a Dutch Marechaussee patrol in September 1903 under command of sergeant Duyts. John

5th February 2011, 11:35 AM	#7
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,346	Very interesting information! That makes this sword even more interesting as it allready was...

5th February 2011, 12:08 PM	#8
erikscollectables Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 318	Indeed very exiting and an extremly rare find to have a name at all let alone a name that can be traced and is inlaid in gold - very very nice

5th February 2011, 12:22 PM	#9
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,781	Agree with Eric and Maurice: beautiful to have a piece with informed history!

5th February 2011, 07:37 PM	#10
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	Oh I wish I had this on my sikim! Congratulations on a wonderful piece!

5th February 2011, 11:38 PM	#12
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	Congrats !! Very nice addition to any collection. Military weapons that can be traced are plenty around... But tribal named is rare, and than even tracable to the original owner. Still hoped it would say "send me to Willem" Very nice find. And in such good condition. Where did you find it ? dutch collection ?

6th February 2011, 01:12 AM	#13
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	I'd like to know if these types of sikim belonged to panglimas in general or those just part of the royal palace?

6th February 2011, 07:50 AM	#14
Jonno Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 51	I think this kind of sikins where owned by Royals of a Sagi and they are usually not direct related with the Sultan family. (In contrast to Java, Aceh had only one Sultan family)

7th February 2011, 02:03 AM	#17
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	Thanks folks. Helps my understanding. Erik, do you have any references I can read?

7th February 2011, 07:57 PM	#19
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	Thank you so much Erik.