This hilt body is almost entirely pierced through, creating a three-dimensional lattice of foliate scrollwork in which individual leaves, stems, and curling tendrils are separated from one another. The dark, dense hardwood — almost certainly ebony or a closely related timber — supports this degree of undercutting without splitting only because of its extreme density and fine, consistent grain. A slightly flared flat cap at the top carries its own carved ornament. The rounded mendak base is plain.
Pierced or reticulated wood carving of this ambition is a Malay Peninsula specialty, most fully documented in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu, where it appears in architectural woodcarving as well as in keris hilt production. The foliate vocabulary here, with its compact scrolling tendrils and symmetrically arranged leaf forms, is consistent with the Malay wood-carving tradition. The same pierced technique distinguishes the figural tajong hilts of Patani and Kelantan, so that H05 shares a regional carving method with hilts of wholly different subject matter, a reminder that technique and iconography travel along separate tracks.
