Alan, its very kind that you have taken the time and effort to answer and share your professional view and knowledge. I had no serious intention in “naming” the object, but was trying to keep it out of the “Unnamed Forged Object” category.
The wedungs I have seen are indeed of the last few centuries, I’m unaware of the earlier type you referred to. In case you have some guidance of its whereabouts, I would love to take a look.
I agree that Javanese were perfectly capable to create their own tools and weapons. The item discussed can well be such a tool. The reason I assumed that it could have been a “migrated” (as in; influenced by Indian design, in this case) object is merely a result of my own limited logical reasoning.
In my humble opinion the origin of tools and weapons can be either from local developed (as in created for the job and then adapted in changing times) or migrated/intergrated from a foreigner source (and then again adapted, changed or rejected in time). Since the object itself is no longer in existence and since its “lifetime” on java was limited, I assumed a foreigner source.
In the first case (local) you would find a whole range of developments, improvements changes and adaptations for such an object. Your article referred to above describes this very clearly, regarding the Keris.
In the second case (foreigner source) I would assume the item is either quickly adapted (for doing the job), changed to local customs (doing the job, but better) or rejected after a short lifetime (replaced by a locally created better adapted tool).
Since this item obviously had a shorter lifetime I assumed it belonged to the second group. But again this is just my own basic theory to simplify the complex world.
Forgive me my ignorance, but I’m still left with some questions before I put my reasoning with the garbage. I hope you can bring some lights on the following;.
There are obvious differences of experience between Java and India, concerning the creation of iron tools. In India for example the history of creating Iron tools goes back to approx 1000 BC. Isn’t this kind of “superiority” in combination with “close” contact (Hindu settlers, occupiers for centuries in Java) a reason to take migration of tools serious?
Iron and later damaststeel was shipped from India to Java. Is it not possible to assume that some blade designs might have well been shipped and/or exchanged as well?
I do see a very strong correlation with weapons displayed on 9th C and 10th C durga statues in java and their “cousins” in India in the same time. As mentioned before the Chackra among others is clearly visible. Is this maybe a sign that some of those weapons were indeed “migrated”, rather then developed locally?
Now back to this ugly axe of mine: )
As you mentioned it would indeed be very useful to chop off small wood. If this would indeed be the main purpose and people still need to chop small wood, then why did it no longer exist in the last few centuries ?
Finally a question a bit of topic, but something that puzzled me after reading your article on the history of the keris. You mention that the shape of keris (pommel, blade etc) was adapted (as from what I understand in relatively short time) to fit better with the local dress and way to handle the weapon (I’m not trying to quote).
It implies that the first type keris did not yet adapt very well yet. I’m seriously curios, why wouldn’t they have created a keris in the first time that fits in the dress and is easy to draw? (Did the dress really change that much? Wasn’t their enough periods of conflicts before? ) Or is there still a slight possibility that the keris originated from a foreigner source and was not yet adapted to local customs?
I hope you can enlighten be a bit.