Good authentic cotengs! Glad you went to the right dealer and bought the right stuff. Well done!

The age of these kerises are very difficult to ascertain. They are probably pre-20th century, but even then, hard to be sure.

I have the idea that silver covered coteng are generally younger than the old plainer wooden ones. Tajongs and cotengs are related, and at some point shared a common ancestor. However, they evolved along their own paths and became distinct subforms. Hence, nit all cotengs are older than every tajong you see.

In terms of upper limits on age, the earliest coteng/tajong specimens found are probably around 2-300yrs old. So the proto-coteng probably came to the north Malay peninsula region around 16th-17th century. That's just theory though.

Coteng
 

The Tajong are also getting harder to find here in Thailand as many have restored new handles.

Have you travelled to Trengganu? Are there many antique Tajong or Coteng there?

Good ones are mostly in private collections. Mediocre ones for sale can still be found, but even then, they are getting harder to get and expensive.

Coteng to share
 

Another Coteng to share..

Coteng variations
 

There are many variations of Coteng. This example of Coteng has a sharper beak compare to the earlier..

Does anybody know the purpose of keris coteng?

Everyday weapon use, court use, wedding keris or pusaka?

Coteng
 

ı ʂ℘ơƙɛ ῳıɬɧ ą ʄɛῳ ƈơƖƖɛƈɬơཞs from Thailand, they have confirmed that these Coteng they found in the homes of the original owners were used by their ancestors...

Coteng variations
 

This Coteng has a straight blade..For those who prefers a stronger blade..

Blade
 

Day light photo

Coteng with older wooden handle
 

Has any one seen this Coteng wooden handle? It looks like a Tajong but it's a Coteng

Very nice Coteng handle, maybe a transition piece. :shrug:

Regards,
Detlef

Coteng wooden
 

A fellow collector's Coteng

Hello Max,

To me this looks like a nice, probably early hulu Tajong: while really small, it does have a ridge below its chin which clearly represents a beard despite being smaller than usual (as compared with typical hulu Tajong).

AFAIK, hulu Coteng never have a beard and the typical flat head. The hilt you show has a considerably heavier head (again like typical hulu Tajong).

What is the reasoning of your local contacts? (Assuming they favor the classification of this hilt as hulu Coteng?)

Regards,
Kai

Hello Max,

Thanks for posting all these keris Coteng (from your and other collections) for future reference!

Some really neat examples, congrats!

Regards,
Kai

Coteng
 

Thanks for your input.

The classification between Tajong and Coteng is often blurred here in this instance, which is why I thought it will be good to share with fellow collectors here. I have thought that since Thailand is the place for Tajong and Coteng, there will be opportunities to see more of these, but it Its not the case...

Hope you all enjoy the photos...

Coteng
 

A few Coteng to share...

This would normally be classified as a tajong. The form is closer to a mid-late period tajong.

It has a boxier form, and a rudimentary beard, from the looks of the photo.

A "kampung"" quality hilt, which is still nice, but not exactly an archetype form to do deep analysis on.

Coteng
 

A friend's Coteng

Coteng
 

Thanks..

First time I heard the term Kampung quality hilt... : ı thought all Keris are made in some kampong somewhere during the ancient days...

I meant good enough to wear around in the kampung, but not fine enough for the higher social strata. Sorry, this sounds politically incorrect, but that's the way art is. The centre of wealth and political power breeds high excellence in artistic expression which form the pinnacles of art that ordinary folks copy, emulate and aspire to own/consume. Like all facsimiles, definition is lost in the process.

Coteng
 

If this is the case, this old one will not make it to higher social strata as well...

My guess is that it depends on which angle you prefer to see it. Keris as a weapon or Keris as a status symbol...

Yes, indeed.

To be even more provocative, some kerises are not good enough for the social higher strata, and at the same time, they make poor weapons too. So what do we make of these kerises? :)

"Old" not equals "good" or "bad"
"New" not equals "bad" or "good"
Likewise for "simple" and "complex"

But I think we have digressed a bit frm the original point I wanted to make, but I suspect was not conveyed adequately - that a "kampung" quality hilt does not adhere very strictly to archetypal forms. You get all sorts of variations and unusual features. From my experience, it is usually a futile exercise trying to classify these examples definitively. Sometimes, they are just amalgamations of influences and even the whims and fancies of the maker.

So this is to be read in relation to your question/statement - this looks like a tajong, but is actually a coteng.

The first rule of collecting is to collect what you like. Happy learning about the keris, and then collecting it! :)

Coteng
 

Another of ɱყ friend's Coteng

Coteng
 

Staying in Thailand has allowed me to build a small network and I have managed to get to know more Keris collectors

Coteng
 

Another collector's Keris

Excellent pieces these 3! Tks for sharing. It's difficult to see pieces of these calibre.

These two are very good too. The sheath forms are top notch.

I have a piece in my collection which has baffled me for a while. It has features of a tajong, like elaborate crown, beard, and a more abstract anthropomorphic form. But instead of a regular tajong sheath, it was affixed to a coteng style sheath which was larger than usual. The blade is what my group of collectors here in Sg refer to as "Chenok" style, after the place the form is said to originate from.

Can your collector friends share their opinion on the origin of this keris pls? Tks

More pics, including one for comparison with other more regular coteng kerises.

Coteng
 

ŋıƈɛ ƈơƖƖɛƈɬıơŋ!

ʂųཞɛ! ῳıƖƖ check with them during our weekend gathering...

Hi! I have shown the photo to a senior Keris collector and in his opinion, he feels that the the Hulu (handle) should be a Coteng one for the sheath. There are bigger Sheath Coteng.

Please see example..

Coteng
 

Here is another example of Coteng Shield

Coteng versus Tajong
 

The Coteng has various sizes and the rare one is as long as the Tajong..

Coteng
 

This is another collector collection. Good example to see the different Coteng with different length and sizes.

Coteng cleaning
 

This Coteng has been cleaned

Book on Keris
 

A gift from my Thai friend..

New Coteng
 

ɬɧıʂ ıʂ another Coteng from my Thai Friend..

Coteng
 

Small gathering... ɧơ℘ɛ ყơu like it..

Thanks! Can I clarify whether you meant the hilt was not correct for the sheath, or that the hilt is considered a coteng hilt?

With so many specimens shown in this thread, it should go down as the Coteng thread to come to for a visual feast. Thanks for sharing them.