Mataram Wedung

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.

ariel · 5th April 2020, 09:40 PM

Here is mine. Seems to be pretty old and fully original. Some wood got rotten, horn hook was broken and repaired who knows when.
Any guess-timates of age?

A. G. Maisey · 5th April 2020, 09:45 PM

I'd give both as Surakarta, and both as 19th century.

Athanase, if this wedung was mine I'd be using cold gun blue on it. Repeated applications will give a very deep blue, approaching black. It is even possible that there might be a metal treatment that will blacken it. Try sculptors supplies for a black treatment, and gun shops for the cold blue.

3rd April 2020, 07:57 PM	#3
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,051	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	#4
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 407	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

5th April 2020, 09:40 PM	#6
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Here is mine. Seems to be pretty old and fully original. Some wood got rotten, horn hook was broken and repaired who knows when. Any guess-timates of age? Attached Images

3rd April 2020, 03:57 AM	#1
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 369	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	#2
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,882	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	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,051	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.

5th April 2020, 09:45 PM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,748	I'd give both as Surakarta, and both as 19th century. Athanase, if this wedung was mine I'd be using cold gun blue on it. Repeated applications will give a very deep blue, approaching black. It is even possible that there might be a metal treatment that will blacken it. Try sculptors supplies for a black treatment, and gun shops for the cold blue.