Cypher? engraving on a Jogja pendok

Jayaningkurnia · 19th December 2025, 07:57 AM

Hello from a new member and greetings to everyone - am lucky and honoured to come across this forum.

I recently acquired a keris and had a new sandangan branggah made for it by a senior mranggi from Ponorogo. He gitted the sandangan with a perak lamen (old silver) pendok and I noticed there's a crown engraving at the back which piqued my curiosity (the attached picture).

Have any of you come across similar engraving before and does anyone know what does it signify/represents?

Thank you in advance for kindly and generously sharing your knowledge and wisdom.

A. G. Maisey · 22nd December 2025, 10:51 PM

Good to see that you have another enquiry Jaya, & that you are maintaining your interest.

That engraving of a crown is simply an engraving of a crown, alone, & with no other symbols it really has no specific meaning. This is not uncommon.

If it had further engraving involving symbolism of the Ngayogyakarta Karaton, or of the Pakualamanan, it could indicate an association with a member of one hierarchies of either one of these noble houses mentioned --- or it might not.

I suggest that you might like to test, or to have tested, the material from which the pendok is made, this is a very simple test and usually a jeweller or silver worker will do it for free.

Alternatively you might like to buy a bottle of test fluid, it is quite cheap, lasts for a very long time, & a test takes only one drop. It is useful to have on hand when somebody offers you with a mamas pendok & claims that it is silver.

19th December 2025, 07:57 AM	#1
Jayaningkurnia Member Join Date: Nov 2025 Posts: 5	Cypher? engraving on a Jogja pendok Hello from a new member and greetings to everyone - am lucky and honoured to come across this forum. I recently acquired a keris and had a new sandangan branggah made for it by a senior mranggi from Ponorogo. He gitted the sandangan with a perak lamen (old silver) pendok and I noticed there's a crown engraving at the back which piqued my curiosity (the attached picture). Have any of you come across similar engraving before and does anyone know what does it signify/represents? Thank you in advance for kindly and generously sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Attached Images

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22nd December 2025, 10:51 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,135	Good to see that you have another enquiry Jaya, & that you are maintaining your interest. That engraving of a crown is simply an engraving of a crown, alone, & with no other symbols it really has no specific meaning. This is not uncommon. If it had further engraving involving symbolism of the Ngayogyakarta Karaton, or of the Pakualamanan, it could indicate an association with a member of one hierarchies of either one of these noble houses mentioned --- or it might not. I suggest that you might like to test, or to have tested, the material from which the pendok is made, this is a very simple test and usually a jeweller or silver worker will do it for free. Alternatively you might like to buy a bottle of test fluid, it is quite cheap, lasts for a very long time, & a test takes only one drop. It is useful to have on hand when somebody offers you with a mamas pendok & claims that it is silver.