Large Knife From Tjikeroeh, 1920.

A massive knife with a forged steel blade decorated on both sides with a wide fuller chiseled with arabesques and geometric patterns, and a narrower fuller under the spine. The ricasso is marked h-jahja-gm-tjikeroeh-14-3-1920. It has a brass guard with inverted quillons and a brass ring. The thick, blackened wooden handle has a chape and a brass lanyard hole. This type of knife is identified as having been made on the island of Java in Indonesia, specifically on the island of Tjikeroeh. Its precise use remains to be determined, but it is a powerful, beautifully crafted knife of Germanic inspiration, produced in workshops during the Dutch occupation from 1898 to 1920. It remains to be determined whether it was made by Dutch or Javanese hands for use by the troops stationed on the island. Very good condition. 'Total length 54 cm, Blade length 38.8 cm, Handle length 15 cm'