Penangsang--- no, not necessarily Kraton mpu made. Just because a woman might be attached to a Kraton this does not make of her somebody of sufficient wealth or rank to be able to use the services of an mpu who is a part of the Kraton hierarchy.
Many abdi dalem are really quite poor people, and even a lot of genuine blood aristocrats are not wealthy, and struggle to make ends meet.
Detlef --- I think this blade has been reshaped, I would not consider this a patrem.
I'm a little surprised that nobody knew the purpose of the patrem, I thought it was something that was general knowledge. To understand the need for a woman to follow her husband or master in death one needs to understand the mindset that applied in pre-Islamic Jawa, and which was continued in Bali until the early 20th century. This mindset was continued to a degree in Javanese kraton society, even after the dominance of Islam, and was one of the reasons for the the discord between Mataram and the clergy which resulted in the massacres of the 17th century. Even today kraton society in Central Jawa reflects a Hindu-Buddhist essence in many respects.
Some insight into the way in which women saw the following of husband or lord into the next world can be gained from "Bali's Early Days", A.A.GDE Putra Agung, ISBN 978-979-1173-13-1
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