Authentic Singha

[A. G. Maisey]

I doubt that I am looking at a Javanese wilah here. At least, the Singo Barong is not in any Javanese style that I can recognise, to my eye this singo looks Cambodian, or maybe Kymer or Thai, or even Burmese. It does not look Javanese. I think it might be more correct to refer to this form as a Chinthe, and if we do that this terminology removes it from a Javanese reference. The rondha is equally strange.

But if we remove the rondha/greneng and the singo from consideration the blade probably can be accepted as Javanese.

Maybe the maker had a holiday in Bangkok before he started work? Did they have resorts and massage girls and other sorts of relaxing innovations back then? If not, well they should have had.

Maybe it was ordered by a visiting or ex patriot Cambodian? Lots of Javanese links with Cambodia in olden times.

Or possibly for export? The Javanese did export weapons and weapon blades all over South East Asia.