Siping-siping

Siping-siping, simping-simping, or sisimping, is a type of armor used in Java. It is a short sleeveless jacket made of scale-shaped metal plates.[1]: 1784 

Battle relief from the main temple at Penataran temple complex, featuring scale-armored warriors, 1269 saka or 1347 AD.

Description

Unlike the kawaca which was only worn by high-ranking warriors, this battle outfit was mostly worn by infantry soldiers. It is usually defined as scale armor, Suryo Supomo interprets it as a metal plated jacket.[2]: 78  Those who proved themselves in battle mentioned in the Nawanatya (a court etiquette manual composed in the 14th century) had jackets "decorated with shell discs".[2]: 75, 79  Several Javanese text indicated that some are made of brass.[2]: 79–80 

At first the word siping-siping referred to a type of sea shell and its shell. It first appeared in the Kadiri (1042–1222) texts.[2]: 79  In Modern Javanese, the word simping still refers to a kind of oyster shell.[3]: 681  According to the Great Indonesian Dictionary, simping is "a scallop whose shell is round, flat and thin, one shell is red and more convex than the other shell which is white" or Amusium pleuronectes.[4]

The Pitt River Museum has a Javanese scale armor made of horns. It is sleeveless and designed to resemble pangolin scales.[5]

Reliefs at the Penataran temple complex.

See also

References
  1. Zoetmulder, P. J. (1982). Old Javanese-English dictionary. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. ISBN 9024761786.
  2. Jákl, Jiří (2014). Literary Representations of War and Warfare in Old Javanese Kakawin Poetry (PhD thesis). The University of Queensland.
  3. Robson, Stuart; Wibisono, Singgih (2002). Javanese-English Dictionary. Hongkong-Singapore: Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
  4. See the definition of simping in online KBBI.
  5. "Scale horn armour (1886.1.242.2)". Pitt River Museum Anthropology and World Archaeology. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
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