Next keris from Polish Museum

[wolviex]

Originally Posted by marto suwignyo

If you have access to this work, can you advise if Phillipovich`s usage of the term is referenced, and if not, is Phillipovich a trained professional in a relevant field and does she substantiate her usage?

Unfortunately I don't know nothing about Phillipovich and other works of this author. Describing this Keris Phillipovich mentioned only two references:
B. Dudik, Kleinodien des Deutschen Ritterordens, S. 46, Nr. 211

W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, Beeldhouw-Kunst von Bali, Tf. 42. s’Gravenhage 1937,

and I don't know if there you can find any other Durga hints - I suppose no. So for now, I feel quite convinced that we shouldn't call this handle Durga. But this is causing other problems. Why the handles like this were called this way - was it just European idea, because this goddes was well known? Was there any tradition? And what is more important, somone who made handles like this, was probably making concrete goddess, not just a woman handle, am I right? Is this tradition lost for good? Or are there any chances to discover the meaning of this handles?

Originally Posted by tuancd

This Mendak looks like half one from Solo. Time and wear may have done some damages to it, but it does not seem much space for an other half. It fits the handle properly and could be of the same age.

Thank you for this hint. It is true that medak fits handle very well. Because there are no other different opinions, I understand this is all true

Regards

[marto suwignyo]

Thank you for your response, Wolviex.

Regretably I do not understand the language in which the references are written. Perhaps somebody with knowledge of this language could track down the references and verify if use of the Durga attribution has any basis in fact.

I feel sure that at the time these handles were made and used, there was some symbolic intent:- Durga? or some other female figure? I don`t know, but what I do know is that some people associated with the world of the keris in Java at the present time refer to this handle as "wadon"---just "female".What it may have been known as originally I do not know, and without good, solid proofs I am not prepared to put forward an opinion.

The provision of evidence to allow this handle form to be named as a representation of any particular deity could well use a lifetime of research.

To call it "Durga" in the first place may well have been a bit of European invention. Look at the "keris Mojopahit". Javanese people never knew that the keris sajen was called a keris Mojopahit until a European told them. Who was right? The European, or the Javanese people?

I think that as far as this handle goes, for the time being we might have to acknowledge that we just do not know who, or what, it is supposed to represent.