Subject: warrior
Culture: Balinese
Setting: Dutch wars, Bali 1845-1906
Object: sword
* Valiant Co.
* Ghiringelli 2011 p88
"Exactly what two-winged, six-limbed insect this hilt is meant to represent is a real enigma. The possibilities range from the beetle and the praying mantis, to a creature with an anthropomorphic or horse-like head, or a figure from Balinese mythology. Indeed, it is sometimes compared to Batara Karpa, the sacred scarab son of the great ascetic Kasyapa, symbolized by the tortoise, and Dewi Vinata, the demon bird."
