Abstract
An unusual artefact, a staff crowned by an iron disc, which once belonged to prince Dipanagara, leader of the Java War (1825-1830), was recently brought into the open. The aim of this article is to discover its function. A help is a contemporaneous note, recording its use during tirakat (pilgrimage). Only special walking-sticks (cis) are used during tirakat. However, a cis is never topped by an iron finial. Iron finials are topping state lances (tumbak) in use at the courts in south-central Java. Dipanagara’s staff is a mixture of a cis and a tumbak. Dipanagara attached great importance to protection from the Upper World. Therefore, the many weapons he owned were actually amulets (jimat). For this reason the alleged provenance of the staff from a Sultan of Demak, a ruler of the first Islamic realm of Java, should also be considered.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Similar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.