MADURA ornamental hilts

[ganjawulung]

Another pics, of Madura ornamental hilts. Some old maduran hilts were carefully carved...

[ganjawulung]

Another old Madura ornamental hilt, made of ivory...

[ganjawulung]

This is the most common form of maduran (ivory) hilt, still ornamental but slimmer...

[ganjawulung]

Madura ornamental ivory hilt too...

[brekele]

nice...very nice hilts.

[VVV]

Nice hilts as well as interesting thread topic!
Here are two other variations of the Donoriko hilt.
I would love to see more variations of this hilt.

Michael

[Marcokeris]

Nice hits Ganja and Michael
Michael some variations (one is ivory,other is timoho kendit,the last is the top of a wood hit from kraton)

[VVV]

Thanks for sharing Ganja and Marco!
Somebody else with a variation of this hilt?

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

I possibly may be able to show some other variations, but I have not had the time to look at my Madura hilts, nor to photograph them.

Many years ago a friend who was associated with the kraton in Sumenep told me that hilts bearing the flying horse were Suminep origin, and hilts that bore the crown were Pamekesan origin.

Hilts that bore neither of these symbols could be from anywhere, and were probably the property of people who were not associated with either Suminep or Pamekesan.

[A. G. Maisey]

I have now had time to select a few Madura hilts for posting here. I've had a look at something more than 100 Madura hilts, and I have selected a few that I consider to be a little different to most, in some way or another.
Each hilt is shown in two dimensions and each hilt is the subject of a separate post.

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 2

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 3

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 4

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 5

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 6

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 7

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 8

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 9

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 10

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 11

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 12

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 13

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 14

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 15

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 16

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 17

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt 18

[A. G. Maisey]

Last one for moment

[Marcokeris]

Nice hits. N.8 i like a lot

[jonng]

Here's another motif.

[ganjawulung]

Michael, Marco, Alan and Jonng, thanks a lot for your beautiful pics of maduran hilts. Very useful comparison...

Ganjawulung

[A. G. Maisey]

I selected these hilts for posting because, as I have said, each hilt is a little bit different in some way from the usual run of Madura hilts. I paid no attention to quality, only to whether there was something a bit different in form or motif.When we come down one level, and look at the individual components of the various motifs, some of the inclusions in Madura hilt motifs can create much food for thought.

[Rick]

Here is yet another . ;) :)

[ganjawulung]

Many years ago a friend who was associated with the kraton in Sumenep told me that hilts bearing the flying horse were Suminep origin, and hilts that bore the crown were Pamekesan origin.


Thank you, Rick. Not only cock'c head. Sometimes I see a horse head hilt too. And the ornament bearing figure of flying horse as Alan mentioned, called by maduran: "kuda panolih" (picture below), and also crown ornament in another one...

[ganjawulung]

And this picture below, a contemporary Maduran hilt, a horse-head hilt...

[VVV]

Thanks all for sharing.

I am puzzled by the bird-headed Janggelan hilts (# 3, 11, 15 of Alan's hilts).
It's strange that I haven't seen them represented in the European old collections.
Could they be later than the other variations, did they became more popular after independence or are they just much more rare?

Michael

[A. G. Maisey]

Pretty scarce things, Michael. Some of the hilts I've posted here are about as rare as you can get, I've got well over 100 Madura hilts, I've been collecting hilts for as long as I've collected keris. A couple of what I've shown here are probably not going to be seen anywhere else.I can assure you that you are not looking at recent hilts.

[Marcokeris]

Here another (Maybe the pattern of the top of this kind of Madura hits comes from a parrot's beck ;) )

[BluErf]

Hilt 2

Many beautiful hilts! Thanks to all for sharing. I've always wondered how come there are so many loose Madurese hilts around, and so little of them attached to Madurese kerises?

Regarding this hilt 2 from Alan, I would like to ask if the selut/mendak is a Madurese style?

Thanks.

[A. G. Maisey]

The selut + mendak on #2 is made in one piece, that is, the selut is not separate to the mendak.The mendak section of this fitting is similar to some Madura mendak that I have. However, although this fitting is old, it does not appear to be as old as the hilt, and the patination under the selut seems to indicate that originally a different selut may have been fitted.I do not think that this fitting can be regarded as typical of a Madura style, even though it does give some indication that it is of Madura manufacture.

[David]

I believe i showed some of these before, but in a different context. :)

[ganjawulung]

I believe i showed some of these before, but in a different context. :)

The horse-hilt in your first pic is unique, David... And I think, the last hilt in your last pic is ivory, isn't it? (Below, another pics on Madura hilt and sheath. A madurese mediium-size keris, with maduran gayaman -- madura people call it "gabilahan". Flying horse -- kuda panolih -- ornaments in both, the hilt and also in the gabilahan sheath).

[ganjawulung]

"Kuda Panolih" is the name of Sumenep kingdom's symbol. It depicts a flying horse -- in the Maduran mythology, it is the horse of Joko Thole (a Maduran army commander in the past). And the name of the horse is "Megaremeng" (cloudy sky). Joko Thole had a sibbling brother, named Banyek Wedi then became a nobleman in Gresik, East Java. That is mythology, of course.

[ganjawulung]

This is another motif of "kuda panolih" with "crown" above the horse. Also, kuda panolih motif in the hilt...

[David]

The horse-hilt in your first pic is unique, David... And I think, the last hilt in your last pic is ivory, isn't it?
Ganja, every time i look on the forum my photos seem to change order of appearance. Right now the ivory hilt is posted first. :shrug:
There are 2 horse hilts. One is bone and the other is wood. I don't think the wood one is unique because i have seen the same pattern before, though i don't think those were executed as nicely as this one. There is a lot of fine detailed carving on this one with many areas of through and through carving that are very skillfully done.
Your last ivory hilt is quite appealing to me. Thanks for posting. :)

[VVV]

Pretty scarce things, Michael. Some of the hilts I've posted here are about as rare as you can get, I've got well over 100 Madura hilts, I've been collecting hilts for as long as I've collected keris. A couple of what I've shown here are probably not going to be seen anywhere else.I can assure you that you are not looking at recent hilts.

Well, that answers my question.
I also find your hilt #7 quite unusual as it, IMHO, resembles a Ganesha hilt?
Or is it just the picture angle?

Here is another unusual Madura ornamental hilt, but of the Janggelan family.

Michael

[ganjawulung]

There are 2 horse hilts. One is bone and the other is wood. I don't think the wood one is unique because i have seen the same pattern before, though i don't think those were executed as nicely as this one. There is a lot of fine detailed carving on this one with many areas of through and through carving that are very skillfully done.

David, your first horse-hilt looks like Bali "kocet-kocetan". But the second, I think it depicts "megaremeng" -- the flying horse of the Madura legend, Joko Thole. Pls regard the horse's wing carving... Usualy, "megaremeng" only carved in "kuda panolih" symbol...

[David]

David, your first horse-hilt looks like Bali "kocet-kocetan". But the second, I think it depicts "megaremeng" -- the flying horse of the Madura legend, Joko Thole. Pls regard the horse's wing carving... Usualy, "megaremeng" only carved in "kuda panolih" symbol...
Well, the bone one certainly isn't from Bali and i am pretty sure it is meant to be a horse, not a kocet-kocetan.
If you look around the base of the bone horse you can see the same circular designs that are around the base on the wood hilt.
I have indeed noticed the stylized wings on the wooden horse hilt and agree that it is meant to be a flying horse.

[A. G. Maisey]

Hilt # 7 does have a similar profile to the Ganesha hilts from Cirebon, but that's where it stops. I cannot find anything in the motif detail that indicates that there was an intent to create a Ganesha.

I haven't seen a Janggelan with stars. Unusual.

[ganjawulung]

Another example of a madura hilt, with rather unordinary motif... (Quite similar to David's hilt in #41)

[Rick]

Very nice .

Here's another . :)

[A. G. Maisey]

Another couple.

Funny thing:- I've never seen any older examples of this type.

[ganjawulung]

Dear All,

Apologize me, for reviving the old thread of Maduran hilts. I am posting this, after BluErf said in another post about "swastika ornaments" in some Cirebon hilts. But here, I found in this hilt of my collection, a Maduran hilt with supposed to be "swastika ornaments" as BlueErf said...

Just an intermezzo....

GANJAWULUNG

[erikscollectables]

Hi Ganjawulung,

this was the thread I meant, thanks for bumping it up again!
I have seen this swastika before in a Madura hilt, that was also in wood.
so it might be a rare but returning motif also in Madura.

Regards, Erik

Dear All,

Apologize me, for reviving the old thread of Maduran hilts. I am posting this, after BluErf said in another post about "swastika ornaments" in some Cirebon hilts. But here, I found in this hilt of my collection, a Maduran hilt with supposed to be "swastika ornaments" as BlueErf said...

Just an intermezzo....

GANJAWULUNG

[Rick]

Another .
Not too uncommon . :)

[ganjawulung]

Dear All,

This is a quite strange model of Maduran hilt -- a double-headed creature, with wild boar front face and bird rear face. Carricatural design?

GANJAWULUNG

[Alam Shah]

Dear All,

This is a quite strange model of Maduran hilt -- a double-headed creature, with wild boar front face and bird rear face. Carricatural design?

GANJAWULUNGThe back, maybe represents garuda mungkur in a more realistic rendition..

[ganjawulung]

The back, maybe represents garuda mungkur in a more realistic rendition..
Yes, thank you Shahrial, for your "sharp eyes" -- your very careful observation -- on such ornamentation. I've checked too in "Wayang Ensiklopedi" by Mr Bambang Harsrinuksmo (Senawangi Jakarta, 1999 -- Volume 2), and I found Shahrial is right...

"Garuda Mungkur" or usually spelled in a speed-javanese as "Gruda Mungkur" is a type of ornamentation in Wayang art (javanese) -- head ornamentation or crown ornamentation behind the head. Most styles in Javanese wayang -- whether it is Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Cirebon, Kedu, Kaligesing, Banyumas, East Java and Bali style -- they use "gruda mungkur" ornamentation in different expressions.

Not only 'raksasa' (demon, giant) wayang figures have 'gruda mungkur' ornamentation, but also some 'ksatria' (knight), 'patih' (prime-minister)and also some female wayang figures...

These pictures below, are some examples on "gruda mungkur" (litterally means 'garuda facing backward') in 'raksasa' figure and Anjani (a goddess in wayang, wife of Batara Guru the highest god)

GANJAWULUNG

[rasjid]

Another ... sorry for the picture quality. Its the best I can manage at this stage.

[Rick]

Beautiful work !

[erikscollectables]

Rasjid,

Some very impressive examples.
Does the first one have a date of 1706?
The last one the Donoriko is great too!

Thanks for sharing, Erik

Another ... sorry for the picture quality. Its the best I can manage at this stage.

[BluErf]

What an unusual donoriko! The proportions, form and carvings are all quite unique! :)

Definitely worth looking at for a long while! :)

[ganjawulung]

Another ... sorry for the picture quality. Its the best I can manage at this stage.

Dear Rasjid,

Regarding the style of carving -- creative carving, not too conventional but sometimes too complicated -- did Jaknal make this hilt specially for you? (Jaknal -- one of the best contemporary Maduran ivory carver, died about a month ago in Madura. He was less than 60 years old...)

GANJAWULUNG

[Marcokeris]

Another ... sorry for the picture quality. Its the best I can manage at this stage.
Great work! Even if i prefer a little less fat..but nice work!

[rasjid]

I agree, the donoriko is very thick and big, suitable for big keris.

Yes erikscollectables, It's 1706 but small size.

Ganjawulung, I got it (big donoriko) from Jaknal (his personal collection), but I don't think he made this one. It's different carving, compare with the new donoriko, I posted ealier, made by late Jaknal. It's his last piece.

regards,
rasjid

[sjors]

I suppose this is a Donoriko too?. I would like to know, so if would be so kind to can help me, please:)
I bought this ukiran only yesterday (with a lot of dirt and grease but it looked okay to me) so thats the reason why I'm "bumping" this item after all that time...

[Sajen]

I suppose this is a Donoriko too?. I would like to know, so if would be so kind to can help me, please:)
I bought this ukiran only yesterday (with a lot of dirt and grease but it looked okay to me) so thats the reason why I'm "bumping" this item after all that time...

Hello Sjors,

yes it is a Donoriko hilt. But it look not so old to my eyes.

Regards,

sajen

[sjors]

Thanks Sajen,
But it look not so old to my eyes.
Doesn't matter! Two packets of cigarettes, (in spite of the fact that I don"t smoke) would have cost me more!
So it's allways a bargain! :D

You'r probably right, maybe not what we call "old" but I'm sure it should be at least 60 years old or more because it's in the Netherlands since that time ..., like a lot of keris and keris handles.
I sometimes wonder if there's a country outside of Indonesia where you will be able to find more keris than the Netherlands?

[Sajen]

Thanks Sajen,

Doesn't matter! Two packets of cigarettes, (in spite of the fact that I don"t smoke) would have cost me more!
So it's allways a bargain! :D

You'r probably right, maybe not what we call "old" but I'm sure it should be at least 60 years old or more because it's in the Netherlands since that time ..., like a lot of keris and keris handles.
I sometimes wonder if there's a country outside of Indonesia where you will be able to find more keris than the Netherlands?


For a price like this it's of course a bargain. :)

The Netherlands have indeed a big resource of keris and hilts and nowadays most of the time by better price than in Indonesia. :eek:

Regards,

sajen

[ganjawulung]

The Netherlands have indeed a big resource of keris and hilts and nowadays most of the time by better price than in Indonesia. :eek:

You are probably right, Sajen. I know last year my "dealer" Yogya-friend has sent more than 1.000 kerises and handles to Holland, and also some to Malaysia, during a keris exhibition there...

But still, thousands of keris population in Jawa, Madura, Bali and Lombok. Old and new products. Yes, I've seen too, some Lombok dealers has dealt with Malaysian collectors too... That's keris life

GANJAWULUNG

[Sajen]

You are probably right, Sajen. I know last year my "dealer" Yogya-friend has sent more than 1.000 kerises and handles to Holland, and also some to Malaysia, during a keris exhibition there...

But still, thousands of keris population in Jawa, Madura, Bali and Lombok. Old and new products. Yes, I've seen too, some Lombok dealers has dealt with Malaysian collectors too... That's keris life

GANJAWULUNG

Hello Ganja,

yes, still many good things you can get in Indonesia when look around but the prices climb up a lot! :(

sajen

[erikscollectables]

Unfortunately I have not been to Indonesia yet...now I will wait a few years untill the youngest is 4 or 5 before we go. I do not like buying from photo's to much so almost all pieces I have were bought in Holland. Of course some the items were laready more recently imported by dealers here but most have been overhere sind the end of the '40s of last century...

A group of Madura handles and my favorite Donoriko in ivory and the favorite in wood in close ups.

Regards, Erik

[ganjawulung]

yes, still many good things you can get in Indonesia when look around but the prices climb up a lot! :(

It depends on where and from whom you get them. Jakarta is one of the best place to get all types of kerises of Indonesia...

Here is one of my recent collection. Quite unique Maduran patrem sheath -- with motif of "singa" (lion) and small Maduran patrem handle with "soldier" motif...

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

More close ups on the Maduran patrem handle...

GANJAWULUNG

[Sajen]

Unfortunately I have not been to Indonesia yet...now I will wait a few years untill the youngest is 4 or 5 before we go. I do not like buying from photo's to much so almost all pieces I have were bought in Holland. Of course some the items were laready more recently imported by dealers here but most have been overhere sind the end of the '40s of last century...

A group of Madura handles and my favorite Donoriko in ivory and the favorite in wood in close ups.

Regards, Erik

Dear Erik,

our youngest son haven't been one year old when he go to Indonesia first time. It's no problem to travel in Indonesia with children.

BTW, nice collection Erik.

sajen

[Sajen]

It depends on where and from whom you get them. Jakarta is one of the best place to get all types of kerises of Indonesia...

Here is one of my recent collection. Quite unique Maduran patrem sheath -- with motif of "singa" (lion) and small Maduran patrem handle with "soldier" motif...

GANJAWULUNG


Wow, very nice patrem keris. Myabe I have to visit Jarkarta by my next visit in Indonesia. It's long time ago that I have been there (1992) but there I buy my first keris handle and by this start my collection! And until now it's one of my favorite keris handles.

sajen

[ganjawulung]

Wow, very nice patrem keris. Myabe I have to visit Jarkarta by my next visit in Indonesia. It's long time ago that I have been there (1992) but there I buy my first keris handle and by this start my collection! And until now it's one of my favorite keris handles.

And not to forget to visit The National Museum of Jakarta, Sajen. They have beautiful collections of Indonesian kerises in excellent dresses and excellent accessories too... Whether they are javanese, Riau, Palembang, Minang, Banjarmasin kerises....

And this is more keris sheath of my recent collection. A quite unique motif of sheath -- bird-motif. IMHO, it is a Maduran sheath...

GANJAWULUNG

[Sajen]

And not to forget to visit The National Museum of Jakarta, Sajen. They have beautiful collections of Indonesian kerises in excellent dresses and excellent accessories too... Whether they are javanese, Riau, Palembang, Minang, Banjarmasin kerises....

And this is more keris sheath of my recent collection. A quite unique motif of sheath -- bird-motif. IMHO, it is a Maduran sheath...

GANJAWULUNG


Dear Ganja,

yes, this will be the main reason to visit Jakarta! It will be also nice to see a great collection of a private man over there!!! :D :D :D ;)

Very interesting and awesome sheat, terima kasih for sharing.

Detlef

[David]

It depends on where and from whom you get them. Jakarta is one of the best place to get all types of kerises of Indonesia...

Here is one of my recent collection. Quite unique Maduran patrem sheath -- with motif of "singa" (lion) and small Maduran patrem handle with "soldier" motif...

GANJAWULUNG
Nice example of this form of dress. I don't think it is particularly unique as i have seen quite a few of this style, but yours has nice attention to detail. It has always been my understanding that this particular form was made for Dutch soldiers to bring home keris from Jawa back in the day. Sort of the original "tourist" keris. Perhaps others know different. :shrug: :)

[ganjawulung]

It has always been my understanding that this particular form was made for Dutch soldiers to bring home keris from Jawa back in the day. Sort of the original "tourist" keris. Perhaps others know different. :shrug: :)
Yes, probably you are right, David. Anyway, it is a funny motif -- not so mystical at all...

GANJAWULUNG

[Sajen]

In my opinion are this jurigan sheaths very attractive. You can find some with very fine and unique carvings.

sajen

[Rick]

I find the bird form wrongko fascinating and beautiful .
The lion is nicely done also .

[Sajen]

A other jurigan sheat.

sajen

[ganjawulung]

Similar type of handle. Small hilt for patrem...

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

The complete composition of the hilt, with medium size keris and javanese "sandhang walikat" (informal) type of warangka, made of "mangga hutan" (forest mango tree) wood...

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

I find the bird form wrongko fascinating and beautiful .
The lion is nicely done also .
Yes, but I think David is right too -- the hilt is not well executed. Not good quality of carving. And I don't think this "lion" model is not a "serious model". I mean, not a standard model for traditional Maduran keris... A touristique model, but funny and cute -- especially the lion

GANJAWULUNG

[David]

Yes, but I think David is right too -- the hilt is not well executed. Not good quality of carving. And I don't think this "lion" model is not a "serious model". I mean, not a standard model for traditional Maduran keris... A touristique model, but funny and cute -- especially the lion

GANJAWULUNG
Just to qualify my earlier statement, yes, i think these were made for Dutch soldiers, but i really like them when they are well executed. They my be the first "tourist" keris, but i would still like to add a nice one to my collection sometime as i feel this is an important part of keris history and the history of Madura. :)

[ganjawulung]

Just to qualify my earlier statement, yes, i think these were made for Dutch soldiers, but i really like them when they are well executed. They my be the first "tourist" keris, but i would still like to add a nice one to my collection sometime as i feel this is an important part of keris history and the history of Madura. :)
Another Maduran "tourist" warangka and hilt... You may regard the "dutch face with moustache" on one side of the hilt...

GANJAWULUNG

[ganjawulung]

Complete composition of Maduran hilt and sheath...

[Sajen]

Complete composition of Maduran hilt and sheath...


A very nice composition.

sajen

[Rick]

Another Maduran "tourist" warangka and hilt... You may regard the "dutch face with moustache" on one side of the hilt...

GANJAWULUNG

In the second picture ?

It looks more like a Lion to me; see the paws extended ?
Very Dutch whiskers though . ;) :D

[Sajen]

In the second picture ?

It looks more like a Lion to me; see the paws extended ?
Very Dutch whiskers though . ;) :D


Yes, looks like a lion with human face. Note the two pad in down from the face.

sajen

[danny1976]

Bumping this old thread up with another variation.
hope we keep threads like this alive , because the are great for info and comparisation.

[rasjid]

Two similar type donoriko carving with different style of carving and age (worn out).
Plus another type with european influence.

[ganjawulung]

Another European influence...?

[A. G. Maisey]

Probably.

But it seems that many if not most motifs in use in Javanese --- and we can read this to include Madura --- ornamental decoration are the result of some sort of influence:- Hindu, Chinese, Islamic, European. It could well be an interesting exercise to identify the indigenous motifs.

[Alam Shah]

Back from the dead.. with a question. :D
The basic form of the Donoriko hilt, what does it represent? Did it evolved from another hilt type?

[David]

Hey Shahrial, is that hilt you were just showing on FB part of this thread. If not you should add it. :)
I can't really answer your question, but i've always suspected it is an abstract representation of an animal head. :shrug:

[Alam Shah]

David, these are pictures of my hilt. The other ones I posted on fb belongs to a friend whom I've only had permission to post it there. From what I see it does have a resemblance to a Cirebon/Tegal Ganesha hilt form but with a flamboyant twist to it.

[David]

That's the one i was thinking about. Really nice patina on that and lovely detailed carving. :)

[Alam Shah]

That's the one i was thinking about. Really nice patina on that and lovely detailed carving. :)

Thanks. Anyone have any idea what does 'Donoriko' means?

[Marcokeris]

a parrot?

[David]

a parrot?
Well they never struck me as looking much like a parrot, especial front on where they look almost bovine in nature. :shrug:

[tunggulametung]

Thanks. Anyone have any idea what does 'Donoriko' means?

Good question. This reminds me a lot of Prambanan and Borobudur etymology :D

As a Javanese speaker of Central Java dialect, I would translate donoriko as:
dono/dana -- fund, money, gift, own, etc
riko/rika -- you (polite), especially certain areas East Java dialect
so it might means your precious (high language)
similar sounding words with almost similar meaning: (m)rika : over there (polite) especially Central Java

similar usage:
donorojo: name of several districts -- rojo = king
donowiro: generous -- wiro = hero, brave
donokromo: polite -- kromo = etiquette

Might have different meaning in the past too (name of a district where its originate, short version of other words for example wedono ing mriko, Old Java/Kawi, etc) but at least that is how I would translate at present.

As the object is originate from Madura, it might of course means totally different to a Madurese speaker :shrug: :)

[jwkiernan]

Beautiful hilts one and all! Here is a donoriko in ivory...unfortunately when I found it several years ago someone sanded a small area to see if it was ivory...guess they never heard of a heating a pin...regardless it does not take away rom the beauty or intricate carvings.

[A. G. Maisey]

My daughter-in-law's mother comes from Madura, she not Madurese, but Chinese, however she does speak Madura dialect, necessary, because of her business activities. Yesterday I spoke with her by phone. She has no idea of the meaning of "donoriko" and suggested that it might be Javanese rather than Madurese.

The little book on hilts that was published in 2003 by Suhartono Rahardjo mentions donoriko hilts as a Madurese form of the Javanese tunggaksemi hilt, but he does not give an explanation of the meaning of the word. Since he does give explanations that clarify meaning for other Madura hilts, maybe he couldn't get a precise meaning for donoriko either.

Perhaps it is possible that "donoriko" is a proper name that applies only to this form of hilt, and its origin has been lost in time.

I do have another Madura contact, but at the moment she is out of reach, when I get the opportunity I'll run this question past her.

[Alam Shah]

.. maybe he couldn't get a precise meaning for donoriko either.

Perhaps it is possible that "donoriko" is a proper name that applies only to this form of hilt, and its origin has been lost in time.

I do have another Madura contact, but at the moment she is out of reach, when I get the opportunity I'll run this question past her.Thanks Alan for the effort. :)

[A. G. Maisey]

No effort mate. My wife is there at the moment, I rang my wife and because she is staying at our D-i-L's mother's house in Malang I used the opportunity to talk about this Madura thing.

[David]

I am reviving this thread because i have finally added one of these chunkier donorika hilts to my collection. The carving is good, but we certainly have much better already posted here. However, i am curious about one particular element in the carving that i have yet to see on these and i wonder whether there are any other examples of this motif out there that we have yet to see. It might just be my imagination, but i have showed this to 4 different people who without the slightest hesitation identified the lower carving on the back of this donorika as a skull. The one above it also looks like a styled face/mask, but it is the skull that really interests me. I have never seen a skull motif on these before, but it seems pretty intentional to me. What do you folks think?
Though not quite pertinent to this thread i also posted a close-up of the pelet wrongko simply because it is one of the most attractive ones i have ever seen. The same stringy pattern continues down the stem invoking all kinds of interesting imagery. :)
Also, i am curious Alan, if you ever spoke to your other Madurese source regarding the word "donoriko". We never returned to that subject and i think there is still a lot to be learned about these hilts and their possible symbolism.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, I have actually asked several people I know who either are Madurese, or who have lived in Madura, and their responses were all pretty similar to that of my d-i-l's mother.

Further, Aswin Wirjadi ( Pesona Hulu Keris) writes:-

"Nobody knows for sure the etymology of the word donoriko, but there is an assumption that it came from the word jenariko; the word jenar meaning yellow, and riko meaning you. This may have been used to adore Putri Kuning, the yellow queen of Madura."

Maybe.

My own possibility of origin is perhaps no less extreme.

Dono = dana = wedana (spelling is "dana", pronunciation is "dono", or in the case of the unabbreviated word "wedono")

Riko can mean you, or yours, it can also mean "over there"

A wedana is a district head; these big flamboyant hilts are pretty much what one might expect to see an important official wearing.

I'm inclined to think that there is a connection between the donoriko hilt and a district head, or wedana.


As for the skull, I know of no established related motif, however, I am now pretty convinced that the donoriko and similar Madura and North Coast hilts are distillations of the ancestor motif, so if this floral decoration can be read as a skull, it may well be a reference to the ancestor who is hidden in the foliage.

[Sajen]

It seems that you have been busy recently! :D ;) Very nice Donoriko form and a beautiful pelet wrongko.

I also have added recently a Donoriko hilt to my collection, will take pictures at weekend and show them here.

Regards,
Detlef

[Paul Duffy]

May I also offer my thanks to all who have posted photos on this thread.The workmanship is usually of very high quality, and the hilts themselves are well worth seeing.

[Jean]

Beautiful hilts one and all! Here is a donoriko in ivory...unfortunately when I found it several years ago someone sanded a small area to see if it was ivory...guess they never heard of a heating a pin...regardless it does not take away rom the beauty or intricate carvings.

Hi,
IMO the whiter area on one side of your hilt is not because somebody sanded it to check if it was ivory but because the protruding "ear" was broken so he had to file it to make it smooth. The same happened on the other side of the "head" but earlier so the repair is not visible. You can clearly see the "ears" on the hilt posted by David.
Regards

[Sajen]

Here my new donoriko in ivory.

[Sajen]

Some more donoriko hilts.

[Sajen]

Some tumenggunan hilts.

[Sajen]

Here some of the same "family" from a other form, know someone the name for this form?

[Jean]

Another style of madurese hilt called topi (helmet) or pulasir (cuirassier).

[David]

Nice collection of this style hilt Jean. Seems that Madura was more influenced by European iconography than any other area of Indonesia.

[Jean]

Nice collection of this style hilt Jean. Seems that Madura was more influenced by European iconography than any other area of Indonesia.

Thanks David. One reason for explaining the influence of European iconography in Madura may be that many Madurese were enlisted in the Dutch colonial army.
By the way I would like to know how to adjust the size of the embedded pictures in the posts in order to improve their presentation.
Regards

[A. G. Maisey]

Re post 117.

Detlef, Suhartono Rahardjo calls these hilts "janggelan"; Aswin Wirjadi does not show anything quite the same as this hilt style, but he seems to call all Madura hilts that do not fall into the other classifications "janggelan".

Rahardjo may not have known a correct name for them, but Wirjadi should be able to be accepted, because his father-in-law lived in Malang and was recognised as a knowledgeable collector for many years. Malang has strong connections with Madura.

I do not know of any specific name for this hilt style, and my personal belief is that it is more common on the North Coast than in Madura.

Actually, I have severe doubts about the historic authenticity of many of the names that we currently apply to hilts from not only Madura.

One naming that sticks in my craw like dry biscuit is this emerging tendency to call the Solo planar style "tunggak semi".

Pak Parman would be spinning in his grave at this insult.

Tunggak semi is a new shoot on an old stump.

The "stump" is Surakarta, the direct line of the House of Mataram, descended from the House of Majapahit, through the female line.

When Central Jawa was partitioned by the Dutch, Ngayogyakarta needed to create a style (in all things) that varied from the Surakarta style, and the two houses, Surakarta and Ngayogyakarta agreed that the "stump" : Surakarta, would follow the Majapahit line of style, whilst the "new shoot" : Ngayogyakarta, would follow the Mataram Second Kingdom line of style. As part of this agreement the two varying hilt styles emerged.

Now we have people who want to stick "tunggak semi" on everything, including the Surakarta planar styles.

Surakarta may have slipped a little from its previous glory, but it is still the senior division of the House of Mataram, and it is quite incorrect to apply the designation of "new shoot on old stump" to its hilt style.

How can this apply, when Surakarta itself is the "old stump"?

What we see at the present time with a lot of names used in keris related things, are names invented, or applied, by collectors that do serve a purpose for ease of identification amongst other collectors, but often have little or no relevance to historic accuracy, nor in some instances of common societal usage.

This is just one of the elements of the Name Game, and just one of the reasons why I detest this compulsion that persists in the World of the Keris to categorise and classify everything, while at the same time virtually ignoring meanings and intent.

[Sajen]

I do not know of any specific name for this hilt style, and my personal belief is that it is more common on the North Coast than in Madura.

This is just one of the elements of the Name Game, and just one of the reasons why I detest this compulsion that persists in the World of the Keris to categorise and classify everything, while at the same time virtually ignoring meanings and intent.

Agree with you in both statements Alan. :)

Regards,
Detlef

[David]

By the way I would like to know how to adjust the size of the embedded pictures in the posts in order to improve their presentation.
Regards
Hi Jean. Your images are perhaps just a little too large, certainly to fit completely on the screen of my laptop, but that isn't necessarily a problem, especially when we want to see the small details in these hilts. It does require a bit of up/down scrolling though. I generally reduce the dimensions of my images to about 12 inches on the long side with the resolution at 72dpi.
If by "how" you me what program to do this adjustment in, there are many. I have photoshop, but there is no need to get such expensive software for this. There are many free, online options. I'd just google something like "photo size adjustment" and see what comes up. Many have been recommended by our members in the past, but i am afraid i don't know which one works best.

[Jean]

Thank you David, I just thought that there was a built-in way to adjust the displayed pics size which I may have overlooked like in Word for instance. I will use a lower resolution in future.
Regards :)

[David]

Thank you David, I just thought that there was a built-in way to adjust the displayed pics size which I may have overlooked like in Word for instance. I will use a lower resolution in future.
Regards :)
Just to be clear Jean, it is not resolution you want to lower. That is you ppi (pixels per inch) and you don't want that lower than 72. What you might want to change is the dimensions of the image (height and width).

[COYOTE]

Hilt 3
Very impressive and rare shape, very creative too. I guess that the balance in the hand is perfect. Madura actually has a unique and exquisite carving art. :)

[Sajen]

Here some of the same "family" from a other form, know someone the name for this form?

Here one in the same style from marine ivory which enter my collection a while back.

[Paul B.]

Here is mine very similar to post 17 ( hilt 8) which Alan shows us.
A good examination reveals that it LOTUS flowers are all around.
Does it have a deeper religious meaning or just aesthetical purpose?


The sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is an aquatic plant that plays a central role in the art of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

Symbol for Purity: The lotus flower emerges from murky waters perfectly clean and beautiful, so it is also a symbol for purity. The meaning of the lotus flower holds such power because it can offer hope and strength to people struggling in their daily lives. It is a symbol that shows that no matter where you start off in life and no matter what you're going through, you have the ability to rise above, overcome all negativity and find bliss as you emerge from your struggles.

[Paul B.]

Anybody having a clue?

[kai]

Hello Paul,

Most of the carved elements are lotus leaves rather than flowers (they are also the most striking part of the plant keeping itself clean from mud/dust with the help of bit of rain); AFAIK they share the same symbolism - purity seems a pretty universal meaning attached to the lotus across many cultures.

Regards,
Kai

[RSWORD]

Some more examples for the record.

[RSWORD]

Another example.

[RSWORD]

Example 3 for the record.

[RSWORD]

Fourth example to share.

[Gavin Nugent]

I selected these hilts for posting because, as I have said, each hilt is a little bit different in some way from the usual run of Madura hilts. I paid no attention to quality, only to whether there was something a bit different in form or motif.When we come down one level, and look at the individual components of the various motifs, some of the inclusions in Madura hilt motifs can create much food for thought.

Alan,

Thank you for bringing this thread to my attention.

Is the type within this post in the link below considered the prototype?
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=63749&postcount=6
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=177881&postcount=109

Initial food for thought is that the the hulu is more than just displaying Kuda Sembrani motifs within, but is itself by design Kuda Sembrani, a classic, mythical, and traditional rendition of what seen within motif.

I cannot even think where to begin with the common name for these hulu...

[A. G. Maisey]

The donoriko?

I think not, there are a number of hilt forms that are attributed to Madura, and I personally feel that the donoriko is a rather late development.

If we're looking for a beginning we would need to go back before Islam, and to my knowledge nobody has yet attempted that in respect of Madura hilts. However, in general terms the hilt function was protective of the shrine that is the blade, similar to the function of protective statues that guard other shrines & temples. Thus what we see in post Hindu-Buddhist hilts is a distillation from humanoid forms.