Wax (?) on the pendok

[kino]

Is there a reason why a Pendok might be covered in red wax?
It seems to be wax. There are traces of wax on the Pendok that suggests the it was entirely covered in wax, except on the front vegetative motif.

[A. G. Maisey]

It was kemalo, red lacquer, in a Central Javanese palace hierarchy this red lacquer was & is the prerogative of a bupati (regent, district governor, or a member of the royal family).

Kemalo is fragile, it needs attentive care to ensure it stops in place.

However,this looks very much like a Jogja pendok, and the wrongko & hilt are Solo, so I think what we might have here is somebody who needed to replace the Solo pendok & did not know the difference between Solo & Jogja dress.

[Gustav]

I also thought of Pendok looking Jogja - but the upper end of Pendok and Slorok aren't typical Jogja at all. They look like they were intended to match with a Solo Atasan from beginning.

[kino]

Would such a blade be worthy to be housed in a red lacquered Pendok.

Also an image of the wrongko from the top.

[Rick]

Is the wrongko carved from a piece of teak burl?
It's quite lovely with the grain going in so many directions.

Worthy of the dress?
I think so.

[A. G. Maisey]

Rick, yes, burl teak (jati gembol)

Gustav, it is a very easy job to fit just about any pendok to just about any wrongko.

Kino, this is a very nice blade, but it is not the nature of the blade that decides what the pendok on the wrongko should look like, it is the hierarchical position of the person who will wear the keris.