Help to Identify a Deder Design

Jayaningkurnia · 3rd July 2026, 05:22 AM

Thank you Alan and David for sharing your inputs.

Alan, I totally forgot about ebony - it does seems to be the right hue and weight/feel. The deder doesn't seem to be stained, polished rather (there's a couple of fine cracks and the colour is consistent).

David, indeed there's no particular feature that indicates it is a female character - I should have said 'feminine' instead, based on the soft facial features and ratios. The mendak is made of ivory, supposedly a 'lawasan' (old piece).

So the carving design is indeed quite novel (if not new), and we are converging on Madurese in origin. It is indeed consistent with the more luxuriant plant buds/vines theme I've seen from there. I understand there are a good number of folklores from Madura that features heroines as protagonists - I wonder whether this design is based off one of them (though, again as David said, the figure may not be a female to begin with).

I am presently outstation - will share updated photos using natural light once I'm back.

3rd July 2026, 05:22 AM	#4
Jayaningkurnia Member Join Date: Nov 2025 Location: Singapore Posts: 22	Thank you Alan and David for sharing your inputs. Alan, I totally forgot about ebony - it does seems to be the right hue and weight/feel. The deder doesn't seem to be stained, polished rather (there's a couple of fine cracks and the colour is consistent). David, indeed there's no particular feature that indicates it is a female character - I should have said 'feminine' instead, based on the soft facial features and ratios. The mendak is made of ivory, supposedly a 'lawasan' (old piece). So the carving design is indeed quite novel (if not new), and we are converging on Madurese in origin. It is indeed consistent with the more luxuriant plant buds/vines theme I've seen from there. I understand there are a good number of folklores from Madura that features heroines as protagonists - I wonder whether this design is based off one of them (though, again as David said, the figure may not be a female to begin with). I am presently outstation - will share updated photos using natural light once I'm back.