After 7 years...

[BluErf]

About 7 years ago, I saw 2 pretty good coteng arrive in Adni's shop. I just started collecting kerises then, and was constantly reminding myself not to rush into buying things. So I told Adni that I'd pass and wait for the next one.

Talk about famous last words - that 'wait for the next one' turned out to be a depressing 7-year wait! Until 2 days ago... :)

Presenting my coteng!!

I'm quite pleased to say that the sheath form is quite well-executed, and the fit of the blade to the sheath is like a dream. Only defects are the slightly bumped-up nose tip and the hole in the buah pinang, which has been temporarily patched up. But still, I'm really pleased with it! :)

[VVV]

Congratulations after a long search!

Very nice hilt as well as sheath (it looks on the pictures as a shiny patina too?).

Michael

[Newsteel]

There you go !!!! Congratulations!!!!

I can't help but looking at the coteng hilt. Very detail. This one is so much different as you can see the coteng wearing a necklace & his legs squatting on top of the lotus flower. The blade looks like bahari, but it isn't.

[BluErf]

Hi Michael,

I think the sheath may have been refinished in the past few years, thus the shininess. But here it's been accentuated by the camera flash. There are also a few missing metal strips on the batang.

Hi Said,

I would call the blade an anak alang for its length. The petiteness of the base is typical of Patani-area panjang/anak alang/bahari.

[VVV]

Newsteel,

Why isn't it a bahari-/anak alang-type blade?
And what kind of blade is it?

Michael

[Newsteel]

Hi Michael,

I haven't got to see the blade long enough. Only saw it when Adni was cleaning the blade. I'm not saying a bahari because this keris is much longer than typical bahari. Yup like Kai Wee mentioned, anak alang would be closer. Again, blade from a good old coteng usually do not have that Pattani influence. Matter of fact, they are more bugis like if you ask me.

[VVV]

Thanks for the explanation.
I misunderstood you and thought it was some other kind of blade than bahari or anak alang.
I have also noticed the variation of blades of the coteng.

Michael

[BluErf]

Actually, I think there is no fixed type of blades for a coteng. Some are Bugis-types, while others are a form normally found in the Singora (Songkhla) region, like this one on Paul's website. I believe it is called a keris "celok". A few other examples have had bahari/anak alang types (Paul also has one with a bahari blade), and some have N. Malay blades.

http://home1.pacific.net.sg/~dspf/