Made of carved wood with metal inlays for eyes and mouth.
Sheathed 42 cm
Dagger 35.6 cm
22 cm
Base 9.2 mm
Middle 5 mm
5 cm from tip 4 mm
Widest at tip 16 mm
180 grams
At base of blade
Buffalo horn, iron, steel, wood
Aceh, Sumatra
19th century
Probably before 1860
From the collection of a Dutch police officer who served in Indonesia around the mid-20th century. Thence by descent.
Introduction
The rencong is an Acehnese type of thrusting dagger that was often worn together with the sikin panjiang. They have a narrow, pointy blade and a bulbous hilt, often with a long protrusion at right angles from the hilt.
For more information, see my glossary article: Rencong
This example
A typical example of a good quality rencong. It features a blade that Fischer, writing in 1912, describes as type C:
Type A: With a smooth blade
Type B: With a faint sunken section
Type C: With a clearly defined fuller
The blade is forge-folded with an attractive burl wood grain pattern that was etched to form somewhat of a relief.
The hilt is made of caribou horn and follows the typical form of the rencong with bulbous main grip and slender stick protruding at a sharp angle from the pommel side.
The scabbard is of a light, almost orange colored wood that is nicely carved and engraved.
Provenance
From the collection of a Dutch police officer who served in Indonesia around the mid-20th century. Thence by descent.
Notes
1. H.W. Fischer; Catalogus van 's Rijks Ethnographisch Museum. Deel VI. Atjėh, Gajō- en Alaslanden. Sumatra I. E.J. Brill, Leiden. 1912. Page 141.
Its blade with very fine and complex pamor, brought out by a polish.
An understated, elegant khukuri of substantial proportions with fine layered blade.