EBay pick-up

[Naga Sasra]

David,

Good buy for a casual thought, the price was certainly right. It was a give away congratulations!

Since Battara and perhaps others are unfamiliar with this type carving I am attaching a similar type hilt (sorry about the photos, the piece is in the vault at the moment and I can't get to it easily for new photos)

Erik

[David]

Thanks Erik....would you concur with the East Jawa/Madura origin. I do see elements in the blade, such as the inward slant on the gandik, that might indicate Madura, but then, it can be seen that this blade was adapted to this sheath...

[Naga Sasra]

You are very welcome David.
I do concur with the East Jawa/Madura origin at this time, this may however change once the blade is restored. As for the recycled wrangka I would not worry about that, I have several wrangka that has been fitted to a different blade over time, not a problem...

[David]

Originally Posted by Naga Sasra

As for the recycled wrangka I would not worry about that, I have several wrangka that has been fitted to a different blade over time, not a problem...

Oh, i wasn't worried about that at all. Only mentioned it to point out that there was always a chance that the blade and the dress could have different points of origin. Actually i am quite intrigued when i see old sheaths like this refitted in this manner. I presume it means that the owner either couldn't afford new dress and/or they saw value in the old dress they refitted due to either the craftsmanship or materials (in this case perhaps the wood) used.

[A. G. Maisey]

Very, very good David.

Very good indeed.

On the fill of the mouth in a wrongko.

There are a number of reasons for this:-

1) a wrongko can be original, but worn, and no longer provides a good fit or protection for the blade, so the over-size mouth is filled, usually by an inlay of wood, sometimes done in a contrasting colour.

2) a wrongko might be of particularly good wood, and is intentionally used instead of new wood; the thought behind this is a little bit like marrying a woman who is of exceptional quality, rather than a virgin:- a virgin has her own virtue, but a beautiful or intelligent woman with several previous husbands can more than compensate for the limited virtues of a virgin.

3) economy:- re-use of old can be a lot more economical than creation of new.

In view of the quality of the wood in this wrongko I'm inclined to think that reason #2 is the applicable one.

In accordance with what I believe to be true, this keris is East Jawa, meaning that it could be found in Madura, as Madura is a part of East Jawa, but it is not necessarily identifiable as of specifically Madura origin.

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Very, very good David.

Very good indeed.

On the fill of the mouth in a wrongko.

There are a number of reasons for this:-

1) a wrongko can be original, but worn, and no longer provides a good fit or protection for the blade, so the over-size mouth is filled, usually by an inlay of wood, sometimes done in a contrasting colour.

2) a wrongko might be of particularly good wood, and is intentionally used instead of new wood; the thought behind this is a little bit like marrying a woman who is of exceptional quality, rather than a virgin:- a virgin has her own virtue, but a beautiful or intelligent woman with several previous husbands can more than compensate for the limited virtues of a virgin.

3) economy:- re-use of old can be a lot more economical than creation of new.

In view of the quality of the wood in this wrongko I'm inclined to think that reason #2 is the applicable one.

In accordance with what I believe to be true, this keris is East Jawa, meaning that it could be found in Madura, as Madura is a part of East Jawa, but it is not necessarily identifiable as of specifically Madura origin.

Thanks Alan. Yes, i am also inclined towards your 2nd explanation. It seems to me that the fitted piece of wood is a bit too large to account for adjustments for wear and tear on an original wrongko. And the wood is nice...

[A. G. Maisey]

David, has the fill been done with wood or with shellac?

In the photo it looks like shellac.