For Comment #3

A. G. Maisey · 2nd April 2019, 10:45 PM

Yes Rick, it is wood, not black coral, and yes, it probably did have a selut at one time.

There's a lot of variation in old pendok motifs Rick, mostly they relate to motifs we find in other craft work, frequently in Batik. I'd need the pendok in my hand to give the motif a name, and I do not have time to look for the keris.

The wrongko probably was cleaned up around the edges, all ladrangs suffer damage with wear, so periodically they get cleaned up and repolished, the shellac on this wrongko is old, I've had the keris itself for over 50 years, so I'd guess that the last time it was re-polished was probably 1930's at least.

I do not remember what keris is in this dress, so I cannot guess the keris age, but the dress is certainly pre-WWII, most likely second half 19th century.

Yes David, I think most people would give this as Madura dress, but the pendok is not typical Madura, and this hilt form seems to crop up in many places, I've seen it mostly on Javanese keris, but also Bali, Madura, Sumatra.

I bought this keris in Australia, before I ever went to Indonesia, the dress is a mixture, but the I seem to recall that the keris is a good fit to the wrongko. I'd be inclined to place it as North Coast, probably Pekalongan and to the East, as a place of origin. Certainly not any kraton wear.

2nd April 2019, 10:45 PM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Yes Rick, it is wood, not black coral, and yes, it probably did have a selut at one time. There's a lot of variation in old pendok motifs Rick, mostly they relate to motifs we find in other craft work, frequently in Batik. I'd need the pendok in my hand to give the motif a name, and I do not have time to look for the keris. The wrongko probably was cleaned up around the edges, all ladrangs suffer damage with wear, so periodically they get cleaned up and repolished, the shellac on this wrongko is old, I've had the keris itself for over 50 years, so I'd guess that the last time it was re-polished was probably 1930's at least. I do not remember what keris is in this dress, so I cannot guess the keris age, but the dress is certainly pre-WWII, most likely second half 19th century. Yes David, I think most people would give this as Madura dress, but the pendok is not typical Madura, and this hilt form seems to crop up in many places, I've seen it mostly on Javanese keris, but also Bali, Madura, Sumatra. I bought this keris in Australia, before I ever went to Indonesia, the dress is a mixture, but the I seem to recall that the keris is a good fit to the wrongko. I'd be inclined to place it as North Coast, probably Pekalongan and to the East, as a place of origin. Certainly not any kraton wear.