Keris Penyalang or Executioner's Keris

This is one of the Malay Sumatran Keris called Keris Penyalang or Keris Hukum. In the olden days this kind of keris is forged and made not meant for fighting but more so for someone who have been given some special rights by a Ruler or King as a symbol of an extention of his power to rule or to execute a criminal by law. It can also be called as Keris Kuasa (Symbol of Power) Top sheath (upper parts of the Keris scabbard) in the sabit bulan or crescent moon form.

Notice one of the Panglima at front row second from right holding a Keris Penyalang in First Durbar in 1897 at Istana Negara,Kuala Kangsar.

Very long and sturdy blade represents the Empu's Skill (Keris Makers)

Hilt in the form of  horse hoof or tapak kuda , it is made from buffalo horn with fine deep and pierced through carvings having a blossoming lotus flower at the top.

Kain Gerus Telepuk Selangor Cop Emas

Kain telepuk, a rich fabric usually worn by Malay royalty and nobility since 300 years ago, will be introduced to state leaders and ordinary people to be worn at royal functions.Telepuk involves imprinting motifs, usually floral, on fine cotton or silk using gold leaves or gold dust, thus adding glitter to the fabric Sometimes, silver is used for the motifs

The telepuk cloth is believed to be introduced to the Malay peninsula by Bugis traders from Celebes, Indonesia in the 17th or 18th century.Telepuk comprises three traditional Malay craftsmanship which is weaving,  menggerus ( Where kain 'Gerus' got its name which involves a process in polishing the cloth to make it smooth) and  imprinting golden motifs ( where most of the time the material which used is a real gold itself but in a form of gold leafs that might have gone to another process or mixture to make it in a form that is practical to be imprinted onto the 'Gerus' Cloth (Polished Cloth) using carved (to what form desired) wooden moulds.

Telepuk cloth was widely used in Selangor during the reign of Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah ( 5th Sultan Of Selangor 1938-1942.) and worn by his consort, Tengku Ampuan Jemaah.besides Selangor, the fabric was also worn by the nobility in Perak and Kedah, presented as a bridal gift and worn as a wedding attire

.The ' MT ' hallmark may represents the maker's name.This was made during the age of the Telepuk popularity era between 1930's to 1940's in Selangor.

Royal Sungei Ujong Big Platter by George Jones & Sons Ltd

http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/j/jonesgeo.html

Tulwar Sword

This Particular Sword was used by the Sikh British Army during British Colonization

(Notice the front and back row from left ,Tulwar Sword tied at the back of the soldier's waist)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBwHUU9OfHU

A talwar (Hindi: तलवार, Panjabi: ਤਲਵਾਰ, Urdu: تلوار,) is a type of curved sword from India. Also spelled talwaar or tulwar, it is the primary weapon of gatka. As with the older khanda, the talwar is revered by Rajputs as a symbol of the god Shiva. The weapon is also used by some South Asian Shiite Muslims for tatbeer when observing Mätam on the Day of Ashura. Talwar is also an Indian and Pakistani family name.

History

The talwar originated with Middle Eastern swords such as the Arab saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij and the Afghan pulwar. It was introduced to India in the 13th century by invading Muslim conquerors and was adopted by communities who favoured the sword as their main weapon, including the Rajputs, Sikhs, Punjabis, and Marathas. It became more widespread under the Mughals who fought with curved swords from horseback. The talwar may have largely replaced the unique Indian khanda as the sword of choice in medieval Indian armies. Sikh warriors sometimes wielded the khanda, a dedicated cutting sword, but only as a last resort

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talwar

Josef Falk Germany Toy Maker 1930

Lying steam engine, boiler diameter 60 mm, flywheel diameter 88 mm, casting base 360 x 240 mm, 


History

Model steam engines enjoyed a popularity starting in the 1880's, and extended into the 1960's. These models really were not a child's toy, any more than an elaborate model train is a child's toy today. Expensive, ornate, and complex to operate, they were more of an art form, practiced for a brief period, and now virtually extinct.

Beyond mechanical sculpture, these steam engines also served as a primary information resource. Mechanical models played a greater role in the emerging industrial revolution, than they do today. They were the 19th century counterpart of film and video. In a period of time that saw dramatic change in how our civilization was powered, but no motion pictures to illustrate the complex workings of the new engines, models were a primary instructional and reference material. If you wanted to see it in action, a model was the only way, and the public was hungry for knowledge of the machines that were transforming their lives. This was the Victorian era, when anything was possible, even having a functional model of a power generating plant on your desk before you had electrical power in your house. Machines were transforming the world, and everyone but everyone wanted to be in on it.

Upwards of five million model steam engines were made during this time. Most of the finest live steam engines were made in the Nuremberg area of Germany, which had become one of the centers of precision machinery manufacturing. In this locale could be found everything mechanical, from the first pocket watch; the Nuremburg Egg, to the precision drafing instruments with which engineers were designing even greater creations. Throughout the 1800’s, Nuremburg was famous for the very elaborate mechanical clockwork models, and this talent reached its peak with the live steam models, and the toys that they powered. In Bavaria, there resided the finest metalworkers in Germany, who were in general the finest metalworkers in the world. This was no coincidence, Nuremburg is located in one of the richest mineral deposits in all of Europe, and had a ready supply of the various metals. Precision machinery was invented there, and refined to a point of excellence.

Eight major manufacturers of model steam engines conducted business in the Nuremburg area: Bing, Carette, Doll, Falk, Krauss Mohr, Marklin, Plank and Schoenner. There were a number of minor manufacturers as well; Bischoff, Eberl, Hess, Heubeck, Issmayer, Neumeyer, and Scholler to name a few, but none approached the major builders in either volume or variety. Fleischmann also turned out a line of steam engines during this time, but their products were much simpler than those of the Nuremburg masters. There were two major builders of elaborate steam models in France: Rossignol and Radiguet, but current prices have precluded adding examples to this collection. The trade was not limited to Germany and France: Mamod, Bowman, Burnac and others in the UK, and Jensen, Empire, Ind-X, and Weeden in the US also produced modest steam models. None matched the elegance, the variety, or the precision of the Nuremburg makers.

If there were a 'golden age' of live steam models, it would be in the 1890-1930 time frame. Around 1900, production soared, as did diversity, and continued until the early 1930s. Even in the post WW1 era, when Germany was bankrupt in the wake of the Versailles treaty, elaborate models were still in high demand. The Nuremburg makers were one of the few bright economic successes in an otherwise dismal situation.
It was not to last. Schoenner had ceased active production by 1905, though formal purchase by Falk was not completed until 1912. Carette, still a French citizen, was deported from Germany in 1917, his company taken by Karl Bub. The worst was yet to come. As the Nuremburg makers rode the post WW1 boom to success, so they followed the subsequent Depression to failure. Germany was particularly hard hit, and precision model makers were the first casualties. Only those companies that had diversified survived, and those who specialized in elaborate models: Doll, Plank, Falk, Krauss Mohr, and Bing.http://johno.myiglou.com/steamgeneral.html

Songket Sarung Palembang @ Palembang Songket Sarung Circa 1930's

This Maroon Songket Sarung was used by the Nobles of  Perak  circa 1920.Probably by Palembang Sumatran Malay  Master Weaver .

Gold Thread Songket of Perak Sumatera Circa 1920's

Size 3 ft 6 Inches x 3 ft x 3 inches

Material :Gold Thread on Cotton wool

Origins: Sumatera

Custom made and used by Perak,Malaya Nobles 

Songket Sarung Kedah @ Kedah Songket Sarung Circa 1920's

This Blue Songket Sarung was used by the Nobles of Kedah circa 1920.Probably by Sumatran Malay  Master Weaver in Kedah.

History

Songket is a fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cottonweft (latitudinal) threads. The term songket comes from the Malay/Indonesian word sungkit, which means "to hook". It has something to do with the method of songket making; to hook and pick a group of threads, and then slip the gold threads in it.^[1] The word menyongket means ‘to embroider with gold or silver threads’. Songket is a luxury product traditionally worn during ceremonial occasions as sarong, shoulder cloths or head ties. Tanjak or Songket headdresses were worn at the courts of the Malay Sultanates.^[2] Traditionally Muslim women and adolescent girls wove songket; "some boys and men are also weaving today".^[3] Songket as king's dress was also mentioned by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir writings 1849.^[4] Traditionally-patterned Sumatran textiles embody a system of interpretable emblems.

In Indonesia, songket is produced in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi, Lombok and Sumbawa. In Sumatra the famous songket production centers is inMinangkabau area, West Sumatra, and Palembang, South Sumatra. In Bali, songket production villages can be found in Klungkung regency, especially at Sidemen and Gelgel village. While in the neighboring island of Lombok, the Sukarara village in Jonggat district, Central Lombok regency, is famous for songket making.^[5]Outside of Indonesia, further production areas include the east coast of the Malay Peninsula^[6] and Brunei.^[7] Songket weaving is historically associated with areas ofMalay settlement, and the production techniques could have been introduced by Arab and Indian merchants. Historically, production was located in politically significant kingdoms because of the high cost of materials; the gold thread used was originally wound with real gold leaf.^[7]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songket}

Burmese Teak Dressing Table By Jack Pritchard Design Circa 1940's

This Piece was made out of Solid Imported Burmese Teak to Malaya somewhere between WW1 and WW2 and believed to be used by the British Community In Malaya during that era,It was designed by Pritchard Co.Limited and beautifully done by Shanghai Cabinet Maker

History Of The Designer

John Craven (Jack) Pritchard (Hampstead, London, 8 June 1899 – Blythburgh, Suffolk, 27 April 1992) was a British furniture designer, who was very influential between the First and Second World Wars. His work is exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of London.

[edit]Life

In 1924 he married Rosemary (Molly) Cooke born 1900 - died 1985; they had two sons Jonathan and Jeremy born in 1926 and 1928. Jack also had a daughter Jennifer with Beatrix Tudor Hart.

His daughter Jennifer and her husband Colin Jones designed Jack and Molly’s house “Isokon” in Dunwich Road, Blythburgh, although it was controversially called 8 Angel Lane, where they moved to in retirement after living for many years in his famous Lawn Road Flats.

[edit]Designs

The house was named after Isokon Jack’s business established in London, 1931 where he worked with some of the finest furniture designs. His most famous products being the Long Chair designed by Marcel Breuer, 1936 and the Penguin Donkey designed for Pritchard's friend Allen Lane by Egon Riss, 1939 both of which are still in production and made using shaped multi-ply (plywood) construction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Pritchard

http://www.lib.uea.ac.uk/lib/libinf/find/archives/pritchard/ppframe.htm

Selendang Limar @ Limar Shawl Circa 1940's

This Limar Shawl was used in Perak Malaya,Probably the work of Malay Kelantanese circa 1940's

6 ft 2 in x 2ft 2 in

Material Cotton

Organic Fruit Dye ( Buah Remia : Romia)

Sarung Limar Pohon Seribu Hayat @ Tree Of Life Limar Sarung Circa 1910's

Ikat, or Ikkat, (Limar,) is the method of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres.

The dye is applied prior to the threads being woven to create the final fabric pattern or design.

Double Ikat (Cindai or Patola,Pua Kumbu) is where both warp and the weft are resist-dyed prior to stringing on the loom. Traditionally, and still commonly, a back-strap loom is used, though any variant or modern loom may be used.

Brief History Of Limar

This is one of the 'Limar' Cloth from Kelantan,Malaysia circa 1910.'Limar' is known by the Malay Art world  as the single and double knotted thread or " Ikat" originated from the 'Patola' cloth from Gujarat.The intricate way of making this cloth in itself has been complimented with the outstanding beauty of the outcome,especially in vibrant of contrasting colors from the natural flora organics dye and the uniqueness of the patterns which has resulted this type of cloth being as the most precious cloth in the nobles world.

The word 'Limar' or 'limau' (lemon) derived from the pattern of lemon drops effects that formed on the cloth.The history of this textile could be started dating back to Malacca Sultanate Kingdom in 15th Century where it has became as one of the important Trading Port in the 'Spice Route' . It is believed that the "Gujarati" Merchants  brought their 'Patolas' ( Famous Double Ikat or known as Cindai:Chinde) to trade in the Malay Archipelago (Tanah Melayu and indonesia.)

After a while when the usage of this 'Patola' has become popular due to its enormous beauty,it has find its way in  becoming as part of the nobles wear when local cloth maker take pride in learning and mastered in making their own form of 'Patola' (Limar in Tanah Melayu- Kelantan,Terengganu and Kain Tenun Gerinsing and Limar Palembang in Indonesia ) using the same techniques,process but enriched its pattern to traditional Malay or local motives..Some even being complimented with gold thread (Limar Songket Palembang) to the custom order of the Nobles 

  Ethnography research from the material used and the norm of the nobles life which gathered from old Journals, books and old photos  had indicated that it was most probably started at the early of 19th Century).As 'Patola' was the relevant trend which exclusively worn by the nobles and the rich .this might had created the demand of making a high end local 'Patola' and along the way got its local name which is 'Limar" which exclusively caters for the Royals and the aristocrats in the Malay continents. 

Thus this 'Limar' in itself created its own identity although its origins from 'Patola' as it has take a different names ,forms and usages. technically it would best to described that the 'Patola' techniques has been extended in the making of 'Malay Patola 'or'Limar' in the Malay's world of textiles. 

Cindai Patola @ Patola Chinde Circa 1800's

Cindai Ikat Ganda ( Double Ikat ) dari Gujerat

Panjang x lebar 6 .6 x 3.3
Patola cloth, a double ikat, usually silk, from Gujarat, western India

Double Ikat

Double Ikat is where both warp and weft are resist-dyed.

This form of weaving requires the most skill for precise patterns to be woven and is considered the premiere form of ikat. The amount of labour and skill required also make it the most expensive, and many poor quality imitations flood the tourist markets. Indian and Indonesian examples typify highly precise double ikat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patola

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikat