Keris--Looking for info--its from 6/13/1758

Henk · 1st January 2005, 11:49 AM

MrGee,

Nechesh is right. The blade is not original for this dress. It might be an older blade on wich the naga was later worked out. The naga is not original and not worked out like a naga should be.
The ukiran is ivory and a very nice one and as said here more worth than the entire piece. The scabbard is not from 1753. It is from around 1900. If it came hidden in a pepper box around 1952 from Indonesia it is impossible that that scabbard was 200 years old. Wooden parts had to be replaced frequently because of the humid climate. The wrangka was originally a ladrang but as Nechesh said the flags are broken. I think your ladrang is a javanese one.

I own a similair piece. This keris is original madura. I became the keris from a colleague. After the dead of his mother last year he had to empty the house and found this keris on the attic. It was brought home by his father who was a mariner and had served there during the war. The keris hung on the wall in the living room but when his father died it was brought to the attic. He showed me the keris and the wrangka had the same damage like yours the flags were broken. I immediately recognized it as a maduran keris. He asked me what to do with this rubbish and I told him I collect this kind rubbish.

He wished me luck with it. With sandpaper I polished the wrangka in the same shape like yours.

Your pendok has a crowned weapon that probably is from the dutch influence. As Dave said as it is really old the numbers weren't written in gregorian. Madura was the part of Indonesia that was most loyal to the dutch and they used dutch crowns and dutch military emblems on their ukirans. So for a maduran pendok a crowned shield is not unlikely. For a javanese one it is rather uncommon.

The picture of the wrangka is too dark. If it is maduran it should have at the bottom of the longest side of the wrangka a small curving in a flowerlike motiv. But your wrangka is rather long and a maduran is shorter an more rounder.

This was an original madura wrangka ladrang. The ukiran is bone.

This is an original madura ladrang.

mrgee001 · 1st January 2005, 06:27 PM

Lots of good info.

I was wondering about the numbers and I saw the one number as 77 but didn't understand why, but numerology hmmm maybe.

I will go to dads house and take some more pics, and turn on my macros to get closer to the keris.

This is the info on the hilt that I have found----

Madura hilts are among the most beautiful. The overall shape is similar to central Java, however these hilts are intricately carved with reminiscent of Dutch influence and remains of Hindu influence. Madura hosted Dutch garrisons, and many Madurese enrolled the Dutch army. Therefore, local hilts, called Landhian, were decorated with helmets, shoulder pads and other western military attributes.

The winged horse Kuda Panole is one of the common carvings seen on hilts from Madura, it is part of the Sumenep coat of arms. The legend of Kuda Panole goes back to the last Majapahit king, Brawijaya and his son-in-law Jaka Tule, Prince of Sumenep. While Jaka Tule was leaving Brawijaya, a horse escaped and nobody could control the animal. When Jaka Tule approached the horse, it was subdued, it kneeled down before the Prince and turned its sight backwards.

Thanks a lot
Mrgee

Henk · 1st January 2005, 08:09 PM

MrGee,

Maduran ukirans are very beautiful indeed. But in the other parts of Indonesia they knew and know how to make some beautiful ukirans too

This is such an ukiran with dutch army influences. Just a simple wooden one.

Freddy · 1st January 2005, 08:38 PM

Here's another Maduran keris with a different type of scabbard. Is this type called 'sandang walikat' ?
The winged horse is also clearly seen.

mrgee001 · 1st January 2005, 09:43 PM

I also have to ask about the birds on the sheath, I haven't seen that before.

In the 2nd pic you can see the fit into the sheath, it's almost perfict. but I will take bettwer pic's of it. After I was looking at the blade I can see the naga was added but it still looks to me as if it was done at the time of making the blade?

In looking more at the sheath and on the site of http://perso.wanadoo.fr it looks like it could be a WARANGKA LADRANG, MADURA (IRAS) I know the one pice is broken off and maybe the other site I dont remember. But I will look next time and take a pic.

Well more pics to come later.

1st January 2005, 11:49 AM	#1
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	MrGee, Nechesh is right. The blade is not original for this dress. It might be an older blade on wich the naga was later worked out. The naga is not original and not worked out like a naga should be. The ukiran is ivory and a very nice one and as said here more worth than the entire piece. The scabbard is not from 1753. It is from around 1900. If it came hidden in a pepper box around 1952 from Indonesia it is impossible that that scabbard was 200 years old. Wooden parts had to be replaced frequently because of the humid climate. The wrangka was originally a ladrang but as Nechesh said the flags are broken. I think your ladrang is a javanese one. I own a similair piece. This keris is original madura. I became the keris from a colleague. After the dead of his mother last year he had to empty the house and found this keris on the attic. It was brought home by his father who was a mariner and had served there during the war. The keris hung on the wall in the living room but when his father died it was brought to the attic. He showed me the keris and the wrangka had the same damage like yours the flags were broken. I immediately recognized it as a maduran keris. He asked me what to do with this rubbish and I told him I collect this kind rubbish. He wished me luck with it. With sandpaper I polished the wrangka in the same shape like yours. Your pendok has a crowned weapon that probably is from the dutch influence. As Dave said as it is really old the numbers weren't written in gregorian. Madura was the part of Indonesia that was most loyal to the dutch and they used dutch crowns and dutch military emblems on their ukirans. So for a maduran pendok a crowned shield is not unlikely. For a javanese one it is rather uncommon. The picture of the wrangka is too dark. If it is maduran it should have at the bottom of the longest side of the wrangka a small curving in a flowerlike motiv. But your wrangka is rather long and a maduran is shorter an more rounder. This was an original madura wrangka ladrang. The ukiran is bone. This is an original madura ladrang. Last edited by Henk; 1st January 2005 at 12:28 PM.

1st January 2005, 08:38 PM	#4
Freddy Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sint-Amandsberg (near Ghent, Belgium) Posts: 830	another type of scabbard Here's another Maduran keris with a different type of scabbard. Is this type called 'sandang walikat' ? The winged horse is also clearly seen.

1st January 2005, 06:27 PM	#2
mrgee001 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: USA, Claifornia Posts: 4	Lots of good info. I was wondering about the numbers and I saw the one number as 77 but didn't understand why, but numerology hmmm maybe. I will go to dads house and take some more pics, and turn on my macros to get closer to the keris. This is the info on the hilt that I have found---- Madura hilts are among the most beautiful. The overall shape is similar to central Java, however these hilts are intricately carved with reminiscent of Dutch influence and remains of Hindu influence. Madura hosted Dutch garrisons, and many Madurese enrolled the Dutch army. Therefore, local hilts, called Landhian, were decorated with helmets, shoulder pads and other western military attributes. The winged horse Kuda Panole is one of the common carvings seen on hilts from Madura, it is part of the Sumenep coat of arms. The legend of Kuda Panole goes back to the last Majapahit king, Brawijaya and his son-in-law Jaka Tule, Prince of Sumenep. While Jaka Tule was leaving Brawijaya, a horse escaped and nobody could control the animal. When Jaka Tule approached the horse, it was subdued, it kneeled down before the Prince and turned its sight backwards. Thanks a lot Mrgee

1st January 2005, 08:09 PM	#3
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	MrGee, Maduran ukirans are very beautiful indeed. But in the other parts of Indonesia they knew and know how to make some beautiful ukirans too This is such an ukiran with dutch army influences. Just a simple wooden one.

1st January 2005, 09:43 PM	#5
mrgee001 Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: USA, Claifornia Posts: 4	I also have to ask about the birds on the sheath, I haven't seen that before. In the 2nd pic you can see the fit into the sheath, it's almost perfict. but I will take bettwer pic's of it. After I was looking at the blade I can see the naga was added but it still looks to me as if it was done at the time of making the blade? In looking more at the sheath and on the site of http://perso.wanadoo.fr it looks like it could be a WARANGKA LADRANG, MADURA (IRAS) I know the one pice is broken off and maybe the other site I dont remember. But I will look next time and take a pic. Well more pics to come later.