8th November 2011, 04:25 PM | #1 |
Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 341
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Seven village metal?
I recall reading some time ago that some keris pendok are made from an alloy of several metals. I do not remember the name given for this alloy but I do recall that the purpose of using this alloy was to insulate or hold the isi in the keris blade, that is to preserve the energies of the keris.
I recall that the alloy was a brass base however small amounts of gold, silver and other metals were added to the melt. I have one pendok that I think may be made of this alloy. Unlike brass or silver it has not tarnished despite being old. I suspect that the small amount of gold added to the molten brass resists rusting. I recall talking to a silat player who showed me a small knife which was made of a pink colour alloy. He believed that this blade would protect its owner. When I asked what type of metal the blade was made from I got a similar answer, he said that it was actually made from a mixture of several metals and that it was rare. On another occasion I recall a silat player showing me a belt buckle, again made from a mixture of several metals and also supposedly had the ability to protect its owner. I think he called it “7 village metal” This practice is also common in India and Tibet. In India there is an alloy called panchaloha which literally means five metal alloy. It has been used since ancient times and is used in India to make jewellery and sacred objects. In Tibet it is the alloy from which Tibetan singing bowls, a type of musical instrument are composed. Just wanted to know if anyone here had heard of similar storys or perhaps know the name and historical use of this metal in Indonesia. |
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