Coteng restoration project

[alexish]

Last year, I bought a wooden coteng with broken beak, that was attached to a pandai saras blade, without a sheath. I decided to send this to Madura for restoration, as well as to make a new sheath. I hereby attach pictures of the broken coteng in its original state.

[alexish]

Here are pictures of the broken coteng hilt after restoration.

[alexish]

Here are pictures of the entire sarung and blade, with and without additional metalwork.

[alexish]

I was so impressed by the restoration, that I got the same carver to make a brand new coteng with an old 9-luk pandai saras blade.

[David]

Alexis, i am a little confused. You are show two different keris blades here as well, i believe, what appears to be two different hilts as well.
If you are looking for feedback on the hilt with the silver selut and the wavy blade, the beak replacement looks fairly good (though the photos are not good enough to really be able to tell if the repair shows), but the silver work on the selut seems really poorly fitted. The sheath itself seems to me a correct form, but seems a bit off proportionately. That could just be the angle of the photography though.

[alexish]

Alexis, i am a little confused. You are show two different keris blades here as well, i believe, what appears to be two different hilts as well.
If you are looking for feedback on the hilt with the silver selut and the wavy blade, the beak replacement looks fairly good (though the photos are not good enough to really be able to tell if the repair shows), but the silver work on the selut seems really poorly fitted. The sheath itself seems to me a correct form, but seems a bit off proportionately. That could just be the angle of the photography though.

Actually, the 1st keris hilt is the restored antique piece (Posts 1, 2 & 3). The same Madurese carver who did the restoration subsequently attempted to carve a brand-new coteng hilt (second hilt, Post 4), using the 1st restored hilt (Posts 1, 2 & 3) as the template.

[David]

So then the straight blade is yours, not the wavy one?

[alexish]

So then the straight blade is yours, not the wavy one?

Both blades are mine. The first blade was found together with the broken coteng that was restored. I was so impressed by the restoration that I provided the Madurese carver with the second wavy blade to make a new Coteng hilt and sheath.

[alexish]

Dear fellow collectors,

I have a question. The straight Pandai Saras blade was found glued to the broken Coteng, which was restored. Is it non-traditional or unusual to find a straight Pandai Saras blade associated with a wooden Coteng?

[kai]

Hello Alexis,

The straight Pandai Saras blade was found glued to the broken Coteng, which was restored. Is it non-traditional or unusual to find a straight Pandai Saras blade associated with a wooden Coteng?
No, not that I'm aware of. Many coteng come with blades of lesser quality; PS blades are not unheard of though.

BTW, your straight blade is not a typical PS blade either: it seems very stout.

Got it treated with warangan?

Regards,
Kai

[alexish]

Dear Kai,

when the straight pandai saras blade came to me, it was slightly rusted, with no pamor, and with typical appearance of a penisula keris.

However, when I sent it to Madura for restoration, it was subjected to Javanese-style warangan, which brought out its pamor, and gave it a "Javanese" appearance.