I n s c r i p t i o n -- in keris

[ganjawulung]

Dear Mans, Dear Raden,

The Sarajantra is certainly interesting for me. In Gedong Pusaka (Pusaka's Room) in Kraton Surakarta (Surakarta Palace), once I saw many kinds of new form of weapons with pamor. I recall one of them, is a kind of "hand dagger" which must be held in a fist. The sharp point, must be in between of index finger and middle finger. It could be a close-fight dagger. Gusti Puger (the kerabat Keraton) told us, that these form of daggers was usually used by the "secret guard" of keraton.

There are also, collection of swords -- with pamor of course -- which was finished in (if I'm not mistaken) Breda (the Netherlands) during the reign of Paku Buwono (PB) X. (See pictures below, once exhibited in Bentara Budaya Jakarta, 1996).

But in Yogyakarta Palace, the weapon is more konservative -- if I can not say as classic. (See the picture of royal sword with gold kinatah).

Anyway, thanks for your interesting post of Sarajantra...

Ganjawulung