1st Post and 1st Keris

[JustYS]

Thank you David and Alan for your feedbacks and suggestions

I will definitely follow your suggestion in replacing the mendak, although it has to wait till I go back to Jakarta where the Keris is located (I currently live in Perth).

I would also like to replace the warangka and hilt with sunggingan.

I requested the seller (who is a friend of mine) to find me an old/antique sunggingan that would fit this Keris, he owns an antique shop so I believe he has quite an extensive network in Indonesia to find me one.

Alas, he told me that it is already very difficult to find a new high quality sunggingan warangka, it would be extremely difficult to find an antique one.

I believe that I saw in one of the threads that both of you owned an antique sunggingan warangka.

Do you mind pointing me to the right direction where I can find one in Indonesia?

I don’t mind a new one as long as the quality is good (although I prefer old/antique one).

Some additional photos of the Keris:

[JustYS]

Now with the photos....😄

[A. G. Maisey]

An antique sunggingan wrongko to fit your blade is totally out of the question.

A new sunggingan wrongko of very high quality will be difficult to find, and what you would need to do is to get the existing wrongko --- assuming it was made for the keris --- decorated.If the wrongko is not original to the blade you get a tukang wrongko to make a new wrongko , then get the decoration done.

It is not especially difficult to get sunggingan work of FAQ done, but I have not seen truly superb new work in 30 years.

Yes, I do have a small collection of vintage sunggingan wrongkos, I have one or two antique ones, and another small collection of very good quality new ones, that were done in the 1980's.

[David]

Originally Posted by JustYS

I would also like to replace the warangka and hilt with sunggingan.

While i appreciate good sunggingan dress i would like to suggest that you take a second look at the wrongko you currently have for this keris. Personally i find this wide diagonal kendit on this wrongko quite attractive. If it were mine i believe i would restore the mendak and leave the rest along.
Since you seem more interested in antique sunggingan why not seek out a keris already wearing such dress? I think you might be more likely to find antique sunggingan dress that is still with its keris than a good quality wrongko without a blade that you can refit well to your present keris blade.

[JustYS]

Thank you Alan, David for your feedbacks.

Based on your feedbacks I would probably do the following:

- Repair the mendak (must do)
- Keep the original warangka and maybe upgrade it with a good quality silver pendok (option 1)
- Get a new warangka that fitted the blade and decorate it (option 2)

[A. G. Maisey]

Talking about sunggingans YS, here is a thread that might interest you:-

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=sunggingan

[JustYS]

Yes indeed it was this thread you’re referring that inspired me to get a sunggingan warangka.....😄

My friend contacted me that he found someone that can make a new sunggingan warangka, from the samples he showed me it looks quite good.

I’ll let you know how it pans out.

Cheers,

YS