Mataram Wedung

drdavid · 3rd April 2020, 02:08 AM

Quoting/paraphrasing information on wedung conveyed to me by a recognised expert in this area, (any error is mine not theirs)

The wedung was not a weapon in the sense of a tool to kill people, and it was not a utility knife.

It was a symbol of the willingness of a servant ( ie, court attendant) to cut a way through the forest for his or her Lord

David · 3rd April 2020, 02:47 AM

Thanks for confirming my comment drdavid. Though i don't think it is fully correct that the wedhung did not sometimes serve in the function of a utility knife, at least in some symbolic way. The blades were meant to cut though (as the sharpness of mine conveys) and i believe they were probably often employed to cut things, if not in a completely practical way, then surely at the pleasure of the Sultan.
And though not generally considered a weapon, i have heard from a reliable source (perhaps even your same expert

) of very large wedhung used in beheadings.

drdavid · 3rd April 2020, 03:57 AM

David I am sure we are talking the same expert. Your example is magnificent, I have one that is much plainer
cheers
DrD

mariusgmioc · 3rd April 2020, 09:41 AM

Lovely!

The blade shows quite clear signs of very old age, so late 16th - early 17th C seems to be quite realistic.

Thank you for sharing it with us, and thank you for the information to come with it!

David · 3rd April 2020, 07:57 PM

We have this illustration which i believe comes from Raffles of a gent wearing both a keris and wedung. So this would be very early 19th C as Raffles History of Java was first published in 1817.
It should be noted that women within the keraton were also known to have worn wedung.

Athanase · 5th April 2020, 03:02 PM

Just to compare, here is my Wedung. It is of course much more recent (I suppose XIXth century). The previous owner polished the blade but it does not seem to have pamor.

David · 5th April 2020, 06:54 PM

Thanks for posting Athanase. Yes, this looks like a nice old wedung and i think 19th century may well be correct. I don't really no enough about them to be completely accurate, but i suspect this is a Surakarta form from others i can compare it to, though i might be missing some subtlety of form that places it elsewhere. A shame someone saw fit to polish the blade. If you could manage to stain the blade i believe it would have a better look.

3rd April 2020, 07:57 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,250	We have this illustration which i believe comes from Raffles of a gent wearing both a keris and wedung. So this would be very early 19th C as Raffles History of Java was first published in 1817. It should be noted that women within the keraton were also known to have worn wedung. Attached Images

5th April 2020, 03:02 PM	#6
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 428	Just to compare, here is my Wedung. It is of course much more recent (I suppose XIXth century). The previous owner polished the blade but it does not seem to have pamor. Attached Images

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3rd April 2020, 02:08 AM	#1
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 372	Quoting/paraphrasing information on wedung conveyed to me by a recognised expert in this area, (any error is mine not theirs) The wedung was not a weapon in the sense of a tool to kill people, and it was not a utility knife. It was a symbol of the willingness of a servant ( ie, court attendant) to cut a way through the forest for his or her Lord

3rd April 2020, 02:47 AM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,250	Thanks for confirming my comment drdavid. Though i don't think it is fully correct that the wedhung did not sometimes serve in the function of a utility knife, at least in some symbolic way. The blades were meant to cut though (as the sharpness of mine conveys) and i believe they were probably often employed to cut things, if not in a completely practical way, then surely at the pleasure of the Sultan. And though not generally considered a weapon, i have heard from a reliable source (perhaps even your same expert ) of very large wedhung used in beheadings.

3rd April 2020, 03:57 AM	#3
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 372	David I am sure we are talking the same expert. Your example is magnificent, I have one that is much plainer cheers DrD

3rd April 2020, 09:41 AM	#4
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,912	Lovely! The blade shows quite clear signs of very old age, so late 16th - early 17th C seems to be quite realistic. Thank you for sharing it with us, and thank you for the information to come with it!

5th April 2020, 06:54 PM	#7
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,250	Thanks for posting Athanase. Yes, this looks like a nice old wedung and i think 19th century may well be correct. I don't really no enough about them to be completely accurate, but i suspect this is a Surakarta form from others i can compare it to, though i might be missing some subtlety of form that places it elsewhere. A shame someone saw fit to polish the blade. If you could manage to stain the blade i believe it would have a better look.