Jengkal

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Jengkal is a small company committed to spread Indonesian culture, connecting local makers with EU art associations, openly foster free education through its open access publishing and more.

Elio Modigliani was impressed with the weapons used by the Nias warriors, especially the sword (tolögu). This sword spar...
02/06/2026

Elio Modigliani was impressed with the weapons used by the Nias warriors, especially the sword (tolögu). This sword sparked his attention for the difficulty in obtaining it, despite other beautiful objects which were easy to trade.
Every time he wanted to barter. The warrior would be happy to give his tolögu, but first, remove the ragö from the sword sheath. They were not willing to give the ragö, no matter what Modigliani offered. A similar experience happened to Anger Moller.

During various fieldworks conducted in South Nias, this information still remains true. The tolögu still represents the soul of the house, as the blacksmith is the soul of the whole village.

The sheath of the tolögu, or sömbur in local language is made of a very fibrosus wood called locally kayu berua. Strong ...
02/06/2026

The sheath of the tolögu, or sömbur in local language is made of a very fibrosus wood called locally kayu berua.
Strong and beautiful, it is the treasure chest of the blade. Decorated with brass or rattan, both materials make sure the two wood pieces making the sheath keep firm and unite.

The sora is the carved detail on the sheat. It can be a flower, or a small animal, as well as geometric patterns.

Many details are left to the taste of the wood carver, he is the one deciding every small detail guided by his spiritual connection with the sword.

The tolögu is a distinctive weapon from Nias, valued for its practical use and symbolic significance.The blade (ösi tolö...
01/06/2026

The tolögu is a distinctive weapon from Nias, valued for its practical use and symbolic significance.
The blade (ösi tolögu) is made of iron and it's divided into:
Böna (tang)
Tui ösi tolögu ( the back of the sword)
Bawa tolögu (sharp edge of the sword)

There are various shapes the blacksmith can give to the bawa tolögu, in this case the specific term for the shape of this project tolögu is still unknown, as no craftsmen can remember its name.

Objects from the past can still tell us living stories, even a blade can become an important piece to reconstruct a community memory, language and culture.

Jengkal received a very special gift from a South Nias Friend.This 1000Rp is a symbol of South Nias ancient culture and ...
28/05/2026

Jengkal received a very special gift from a South Nias Friend.
This 1000Rp is a symbol of South Nias ancient culture and civilization. The stone jumping or, in local language, LOMPAT BATU was a man practice that every young man in the village should have trained since the age of 7 years old. Success was never assured and some men never reached this skill.
However, for those blessed with this physical strength, it meant also a magical blessing from their ancestors' spirit.

Nowadays the LOMPAT BATU is only performed for tourists and a handful of men can still jump the stone.

Thank you again for this special gift.
Lahu

19/05/2026

The work to create the 21st century Tolögu continues...
We are now creating the scabbard, it will serve as the comfortable house where the blade of the tolögu will rest.

Looking at a craft coming to life is something magical, and the life surrounding it is even more exciting.

A craftsman is the beating heart of the village, and this project always keeps us reminding it.

Gordon Childe argued that blacksmithing is one of the markers of a society entering the realm of 'true' civilization. In...
17/05/2026

Gordon Childe argued that blacksmithing is one of the markers of a society entering the realm of 'true' civilization. In an effort to learn more about this, we visited Lahusa Fau Village in South Nias. We were fortunate to witness and document the making of tolögu blades (ösi) and rings (siano). Amidst modernity and the diminishing role of blacksmiths, we witnessed their skilled hands reviving parts of the tolögu, a symbol of courage for the people of South Nias. Thank you to Bawehede Manaö, Waspada Fau, Taraziduhu Fau and their families for their willingness to be part of this activity.

This project is supported by the .bm
Host institution .bali
Local partners .studio .nias

06/05/2026

Back in 1886, the Italian explorer Elio Modigliani visited Nias island getting in contact with local people and describing their crafts. Among these, the tolögu makers are part of the detailed descriptions Modigliani later wrote in his book "Un viaggio a Nias".

At page 254 it shows a local "fucina" (forge) and explains the construction process while describing the skillful local abilities in forging blades.

Today, the local people of Nias still produce their own blades, partially using the traditional methods. However, this knowledge is prone to disappearance due to low transmission and local difficulties.

18/04/2026

Our last batik workshop in Cremona for this year. Thank you .a for your kind support and collaboration for all of our workshops in Cremona. We are also glad to have introduced batik and part of Indonesian culture in Cremona, to all good people of Cremona. Thank you again and Alla prossima! We will be back!

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