Two knives "golok" ·  Indonesia - Java · ID: 3042241

Description

jagged, irregular blade, elaborated carved bone hilt in form of a human head with conical headgear, “snub” nose and a broad smiling mouth, min. dam., small missing parts, traces of corrosion, h: 36,5 cm; sickle-shaped blade with matching wooden sheath, bone hilt in form of a human head with separately worked eyes and expressive facial features, min. dam., slight traces of corrosion, h: 33,5 cm;
the term “golok” is applied to a variety of machetes once found throughout the Indonesian archipelago. To a certain extent they are still in use today.

Comparing literature

van Zonneveld, Albert G., Traditional weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago, Leiden 2001, p. 49, ill. 118