Requesting Help!! Identifying the specifics of a Kris

David · 20th January 2021, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interested Party

David, it might be crushed but with the angle of the photo I can't be sure. My eye for evaluation is still developing. As far as repair goes, I guess I tend to fix things, even things that aren't worth fixing. My friends actually make fun of me for the habit and the time I lose, but sometimes the results can't be duplicated by something new. Most of the silver mendaks I've seen online seem to be in Bali's style.

I certainly understand the joy that restoring things brings to many people. Don't let your friends make fun of you for things that bring you joy.

I won't provide any links to mendaks for sale online because that would break our rules, but if you just google "mendak keris" you will no doubt find many opinions for Javanese mendaks. I can be fairly certain the mendak on this keris has indeed been crushed flat because Javanese and Madurese mendaks have more width to them than what i can see. I cannot be sure of the exact style this mendak is, as there are many variations, but this mendak probably looked something like the one i have posted below.
Bali keris rings are called uwer (or wewer) btw, though sometimes they are misidentified as "mendak".
But my point here goes even a bit beyond whether or not you can restore this mendak (though i seriously doubt you could get a very good result), but more the idea that giving the blade a new mendak could be seen as something of a gift to MM's newly acquired keris, an honouring to the spirit of the keris and an acknowledgement of new ownership. Keris dress is often changed when a keris changes hands. It's just a matter of a different perspective i guess.
Of course, if you are up for the challenge you could always exchange info with MM and he could send you this mendak so you can see what you can do with it. I'd love to see you be successful with such a project in spite of my doubts.

asomotif · 26th January 2021, 09:41 PM

Hello David,

This new mendak looks "die casted". Is that correct ?
Not much of a gift to a very old an genuine keris as presented in this thread.
I really prefer old mendak, as they are indeed like a jewel, a gift to the keris.

Ps, I like this thread about mendak :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=madura+mendak

maximummason · 27th January 2021, 12:24 AM

Thank you all for the comments. I think I will replace the mendak with one that radiates more...."bling" :-)

David · 27th January 2021, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asomotif

Hello David,

This new mendak looks "die casted". Is that correct ?
Not much of a gift to a very old an genuine keris as presented in this thread.
I really prefer old mendak, as they are indeed like a jewel, a gift to the keris.

Ps, I like this thread about mendak :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=madura+mendak

Sorry, i posted the following as an edit on your post by mistake and then went back and deleted it.

Yes, i grabbed the first shot i could find on the internet in order to show I.P. the general shape of a Jawa/Madura mendak so that he could better understand why i was convinced that the one on this keris is squashed flat. It was not meant as an example of an exquisite or even medium grade mendak. That said however, it would be far better than leaving the one that is presently on this keris in place.

Jean · 27th January 2021, 08:58 AM

Hello David,
This mendak which you showed us is in bejen style from Yogya (see Keris Jawa book page 281) so not really suitable for this kris...

Regards

David · 27th January 2021, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean

Hello David,
This mendak which you showed us is in bejen style from Yogya (see Keris Jawa book page 281) so not really suitable for this kris...

Regards

Yes Jean, thanks, i am aware of that. LOL!
As i just explained to Asomotif, i was simply posting a any Jawa/Madura style mendak to demonstrate that the one on the OP's keris was squashed. This is an Eat Javanese keris and Max should seek a mendak that is more appropriate for this kind of keris. Of course, from what i can see of what is left of the mendak on the keris in question, it does not look like it was the proper mendak to begin with. Which is why i wrote " I cannot be sure of the exact style this mendak is, as there are many variations, but this mendak probably looked something like the one i have posted below."
So please excuse my laziness for not researching proper East Jawa mendaks suitable for this ensemble, but that was not my intended point at the time. If max would like to find a mendak more suitable for this ensemble he should probably be looking for ones in these variations.

Jean · 27th January 2021, 07:33 PM

Yes David, these are very good and suitable pieces! I intended to show some pieces but did'nt as I got very few spares

A. G. Maisey · 27th January 2021, 11:54 PM

Please refer post #14 & #17

In post #14 David has shown a mendak that Jean in post #17 has identified as "bejen" Jogja (Ngayogyakarta) style.

Jean's reference is Haryoguritno "Keris Jawa".

About this style of mendak.

On Page 39 of Solyom "World of the Javanese Keris" this style of mendak is identified as "parijoto" style. As to whether the mendak shown in post #14 is Jogja style or Solo style, there are minor differences only in Solo & Jogya styles, and it would be necessary to have the actual mendak in hand before it would be possible to state definitively whether it was suited to a Jogja keris or a Solo keris. My personal opinion based upon the photograph is that this current production mendak in Post #14 would probably prove to be better suited to use on a Solo hilt than on a Jogja hilt.

A further comment in passing:- in my experience, this current production mendak would be fabricated (ie, built of several separate pieces)it would not be produced from either a single die nor would it be cast. However, some of those separate parts could have been produced from dies, this is standard practice in the trade and has been for a very long time.

Solyom identifies this mendak style as parijoto, I also identify it as parijoto, both Solyom and I gained most of our Javanese terminology from Surakarta (Solo).

Haryoguritno spells "parijoto" as "parijatha" (see HG page 280).

In fact, "parijoto" is two words:- "pari + joto", it means "swollen rice grains", ie, not cooked rice grains, cooked rice is or "sega" (Ng) or "sekul" (Kr.), but it is dry rice ("pari") that has become wet & thus swollen.

The word used by Haryoguritno , "parijatha", is the name of a little bush that has yellow berries, these berries have a medicinal purpose, I'm not sure what that is, but it is something to do with pregnancy & child bearing. I'm afraid that Haryoguritno got it wrong in this case --- or more probably his informant got it wrong.

There is another problem with Haryoguritno's identification also.
He identifies the mendak style in post #14 as "bejen". In fact the spelling is not "bejen", but "pecen".

The word "pecen" comes from the word "peci" ("pici"), and can be understood as "like a peci", whilst this mendak style is not precisely similar to a peci, it is very similar to a fez (tarbus), so as with many terms used in the keris world we have an oblique reference. Again, Solyom appears to draw exactly the same line of connection as I was taught to draw.

I believe this term of "peci" for the Indonesian national black velvet cap was made popular by Sukarno, the other names for it are "songkok" and "kopiah". The name "kopiah" can be found (with various transliterations) in Old Javanese and appears to date from Majapahit times when it referred to a black three cornered cap worn by warriors, and until now as formal wear for a warrior. "Songkok" is I believe more Malay usage.

In Solo, a "pecen" style mendak must be set with stones.

The mendak shown by David in post #14 is not pecen style, it is parijoto style and it is more likely to be suited to a Surakarta (Solo) hilt than to a Ngayogyakarta (Jogja) hilt.

26th January 2021, 09:41 PM	#2
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,228	Hello David, This new mendak looks "die casted". Is that correct ? Not much of a gift to a very old an genuine keris as presented in this thread. I really prefer old mendak, as they are indeed like a jewel, a gift to the keris. Ps, I like this thread about mendak : http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=madura+mendak Last edited by David; 27th January 2021 at 02:19 AM.

27th January 2021, 12:24 AM	#3
maximummason Member Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 6	Thank you all for the comments. I think I will replace the mendak with one that radiates more...."bling" :-)

27th January 2021, 08:58 AM	#5
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	Hello David, This mendak which you showed us is in bejen style from Yogya (see Keris Jawa book page 281) so not really suitable for this kris... Regards

27th January 2021, 07:33 PM	#7
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	Yes David, these are very good and suitable pieces! I intended to show some pieces but did'nt as I got very few spares

27th January 2021, 11:54 PM	#8
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	Please refer post #14 & #17 In post #14 David has shown a mendak that Jean in post #17 has identified as "bejen" Jogja (Ngayogyakarta) style. Jean's reference is Haryoguritno "Keris Jawa". About this style of mendak. On Page 39 of Solyom "World of the Javanese Keris" this style of mendak is identified as "parijoto" style. As to whether the mendak shown in post #14 is Jogja style or Solo style, there are minor differences only in Solo & Jogya styles, and it would be necessary to have the actual mendak in hand before it would be possible to state definitively whether it was suited to a Jogja keris or a Solo keris. My personal opinion based upon the photograph is that this current production mendak in Post #14 would probably prove to be better suited to use on a Solo hilt than on a Jogja hilt. A further comment in passing:- in my experience, this current production mendak would be fabricated (ie, built of several separate pieces)it would not be produced from either a single die nor would it be cast. However, some of those separate parts could have been produced from dies, this is standard practice in the trade and has been for a very long time. Solyom identifies this mendak style as parijoto, I also identify it as parijoto, both Solyom and I gained most of our Javanese terminology from Surakarta (Solo). Haryoguritno spells "parijoto" as "parijatha" (see HG page 280). In fact, "parijoto" is two words:- "pari + joto", it means "swollen rice grains", ie, not cooked rice grains, cooked rice is or "sega" (Ng) or "sekul" (Kr.), but it is dry rice ("pari") that has become wet & thus swollen. The word used by Haryoguritno , "parijatha", is the name of a little bush that has yellow berries, these berries have a medicinal purpose, I'm not sure what that is, but it is something to do with pregnancy & child bearing. I'm afraid that Haryoguritno got it wrong in this case --- or more probably his informant got it wrong. There is another problem with Haryoguritno's identification also. He identifies the mendak style in post #14 as "bejen". In fact the spelling is not "bejen", but "pecen". The word "pecen" comes from the word "peci" ("pici"), and can be understood as "like a peci", whilst this mendak style is not precisely similar to a peci, it is very similar to a fez (tarbus), so as with many terms used in the keris world we have an oblique reference. Again, Solyom appears to draw exactly the same line of connection as I was taught to draw. I believe this term of "peci" for the Indonesian national black velvet cap was made popular by Sukarno, the other names for it are "songkok" and "kopiah". The name "kopiah" can be found (with various transliterations) in Old Javanese and appears to date from Majapahit times when it referred to a black three cornered cap worn by warriors, and until now as formal wear for a warrior. "Songkok" is I believe more Malay usage. In Solo, a "pecen" style mendak must be set with stones. The mendak shown by David in post #14 is not pecen style, it is parijoto style and it is more likely to be suited to a Surakarta (Solo) hilt than to a Ngayogyakarta (Jogja) hilt.