Wedung from Bali?

[tomato77]

Hello again,

since a lot of you guys are very experienced with indonesian blades, I am certain you can help me identify this knife that I found a few years ago.

As I am more the african weapons guy I don't have much experience with asian blades. The blade form, hilt and - don't know what it's called... the elephant trunk thingy on the blade - reminds me of Bali, but that's all I can guess.

Thank you a lot for your comments.

Best

Thomas

[Sajen]

Hello Thomas,

First of all, there are no wedungs from Bali, a wedung is a knife from Java.
I can't name your knife but I strongly guess it's of Sumatran origin.
I would clean the blade from rust, it would benefit a lot when the blade would be clean.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Thomas,

Bali also seems less likely to me. What is the maximum blade thickness?

The pommel seems to be one of many variants based on the makara symbolism.

Regards,
Kai

[tomato77]

Hello Kai,

thank you! It measures 6.5mm near the hilt.

Best

Thomas

[Athanase]

Hello,
Like Sajen for me is from Sumatra. Interesting blade, I've never seen this before.

[kai]

Thanks for posting this interesting knife, Thomas!

Tough to nail down its origin for sure: It probably hails from the Sumatran East coast (including the associated islands); an iron ferrule is not very common/traditional though. A kembang kacang(-like feature) is more widely found and includes the Malay peninsula and, especially, southern Sumatra and western Java (and beyond).

The fairly simple blade with fuller and no apparent pamor might possibly fit with northern regions - just a guess.

Regards,
Kai

[Ian]

I can't help but notice that the file work at forte on this one resembles the "elephant trunk" area of a keris. Do kembang kacang usually imitate this feature of the keris? I don't recall seeing such a representation on Sumatran, Malay or Borneo knives other than keris.


The blade seems to have some age (? 19th C). Would you call it a golok?

[Sajen]

I can't help but notice that the file work at forte on this one resembles the "elephant trunk" area of a keris. Do kembang kacang usually imitate this feature of the keris? I don't recall seeing such a representation on Sumatran, Malay or Borneo knives other than keris.

Really not Ian? ;) Look for example here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28981&highlight=sumatra

There are several other blades which had been posted in the past with a kembang kacang here in the past.

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

Here is an old Balinese perupak that has kembang kacang. The blade is about 8 inches long.

[Ian]

Sajen,

In the example you show, am I not seeing (in the attached enlargement) evidence of not just the kembang kacang, but also the jalen and a suggestion of lambe gajah? This seems very keris-like in its depiction. Am I missing something?

Ian.

[naturalist]

There is a type of golok, named as Curug Aul. Belief to be the weapon of high rank soldier from Pajajaran and Sumedang Kingdoms.
I saw some variations on it, sometime the lambe gajah, telale gajah, and jalen are on the back or the opposite. What i have seen mostly very well made, a beauty but seems deadly. If i am not mistaken Curug Aul is a beast, the wild dog.

[Sajen]

In the example you show, am I not seeing (in the attached enlargement) evidence of not just the kembang kacang, but also the jalen and a suggestion of lambe gajah? This seems very keris-like in its depiction. Am I missing something?

No Ian, you see it correctly! ;)