Sheath Motive

[ganjawulung]

Dear Raden,

Your Yogyakartanese sheath in the picture, bearing a "kendhit" (like belt motive) either in the "pelokan" (?) or the hilt. Say it in English, "belted motive sheath?" and "belted motive hilt"...

There are some kinds of "kendhit". It depends on the belt motive. There is also "kendhit rante" (chain-belt). Some people believed that keris sheath with "kendhit rante" is good for people with profession of: prosecutor, judge, police. But full kendhit like yours, some believed that's good for everybody who are searching for success (See in Bambang Harsrinuksmo's Ensiklopedi, cf "kendhit" or kendit).

Tha "wanda" (special style) of your sheath model, is "gayaman mangkurat" (supposed to be from Amangkurat era's model). And the hilt's model is "narada kandha" (maybe like the figure of Narada -- name of a god -- in wayang, which has big belly).

The pendhok (scabbard?), bears "slorok" (you can slide the ornamented part from the pendhok)..

Ganjawulung

[cahaya]

Dear Gonjo

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

.......
The pendhok (scabbard?), bears "slorok" (you can slide the ornamented part from the pendhok)..

The pendok motif "Semen Jlegut", I'm wrong?

[cahaya]

Dear Gonjo

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

.......
The pendhok (scabbard?), bears "slorok" (you can slide the ornamented part from the pendhok)..

The pendok motif "Semen Jlegut", I'm wrong?

see another refreshing motive for this night

[David]

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

There are some kinds of "kendhit". It depends on the belt motive. There is also "kendhit rante" (chain-belt). Some people believed that keris sheath with "kendhit rante" is good for people with profession of: prosecutor, judge, police. But full kendhit like yours, some believed that's good for everybody who are searching for success (See in Bambang Harsrinuksmo's Ensiklopedi, cf "kendhit" or kendit).

You will also sometimes find "kendhit" as pamor on the gonjo.
The ensemble of this first keris is quite striking, with the matching "kendhit" on hilt and wrongko. Very nice. I would love to see better photos where the flash doesn't blow out the image.

[ganjawulung]

Originally Posted by David

...You will also sometimes find "kendhit" as pamor on the gonjo...

Yes David,
We called it "ganja kendit mimang". According to Bambang Harsrinuksmo's Ensiklopedi Keris, such ganja has good "tuah" or "angsar" (good effect?) to the owner. Good to protect against theft, good to guard your house...

[Raden Usman Djogja]

Originally Posted by David

. Very nice. I would love to see better photos where the flash doesn't blow out the image.

David,

I m sorry. This keris, now, is in Yogya while I am in Dakar. So... perhaps next time if there is an opportunity to be in Yogyakarta, I will take a picture one more and share with you.

Usman

[ganjawulung]

I have a kendit sheath, but not better than Raden's. I hope, this one is a "kendit rante" (chain-belted) sheath. Or at least, "kendit wurung" according to Bambang Harsrinuksmo's Ensiklopedi.

Kendit rante, believed to be good for people with profession of prosecutor, police... But if kendit wurung, then it will only be good for hope, hope, and hope of good fortune...

The keris also has a kendit pamor in the middle of the blade. Please look at the close up this Majapahit era keris which bears dhapur "jangkung mayat" with three luks or the jangkung of the dead body... Oh, but I'm still wanting to live longer...

Ganjawulung

[Marcokeris]

Two others gayaman with kendit inside

[ganjawulung]

Hi Marco,

The sheath, I prefer the first one. The kendit is quite perfect. But the hilt, I would rather choose the second (tayuman) one, with "mendak" (hilt ring) of "meniran" type. Yogyakartanese hilt, is better without selut. Simplicity, is the philosophy of Yogyakarta. Contrary with Solonese, which is more "gebyar" or glamour than Yogyakartanese..

[Marcokeris]

About kendit:
My dear Yogya friend, a person mention many times in first and second Enciclopedia Keris, told me that there are two kinds of kendit : real kendit and fake kendit: if i have uderstood well, the difference depends on the cut of the piece of timoho's wood relatives to the black timoho's stains in the wood itself.
Silakan could Ganya or some other forum's friend explain in the correct way this difference?
Thanks

[Boedhi Adhitya]

Dear Marco,
Before we define the real and fake kendhit, it would be better if we define the proper wrangka’s cut first.

The properly cut sheaths/warangkas should have slightly angled wood grains/fibres, about 45 degrees, usually ascending from left to right if we look at the ‘face’ side of warangkas. Traditionally, it is called ‘ngiris tempe’ (slicing the tempe, in the ordinary way of slicing, certainly) or ‘mayat miring.’ (So, Mas Ganjawulung, ‘mayat’ not necessarily means corpse, but might also means ‘roughly 45 degrees angled.’ Mayat might also used to define the ‘condhong – leleh’ of the keris blade).

Another alternative to ‘mayat miring’ is slightly vertical grain. The sheath maker should decides the proper angle according to the ‘pelet’ (in Timoho wood) or the grain’s pattern (in Trembalo, Sandalwood, or any other woods) for the best artistical/aesthetical appearance. These grain directions are also the best from technical point of view.

Other alternatives, such as ‘mlumah’ (‘lay down’/’sleepy’, that is, the horizontal grain), is not acceptable in traditional standar.
A special exclusion is for ‘gembol’ wood, that is, the wood which come from the lowest part of the trunk, on the ground level, just before the root. It has a very twisted grain, so ones cannot easily define the grain’s direction. The Cahaya’s picture, left side, is an example. Regarding this wood, the sheath maker would be more concern to the holes it bears, as the gembol wood usually has many holes.

Now it comes to the real and fake kendhit.

To meet the traditional sheaths cuting standard (mayat miring or vertical grain), a real kendhit pattern should be perpendicular to the wood grain. In the other words, the pelet direction should cross the grain direction. It should also pass through the warangka, as Ganjawulung said. But as the dark pattern (pelet) in timoho wood tends to grow following the wood grain direction, a straight and perpendicular pelet would be quite rare. The same condition also apply to the ‘sembur’ pelet, which is, in fact, rarer than kendhit.

Thus, which one is considered as the fake kendhit ?
1. The kendhit pattern which is parallel to the wood grain (so we have a kendhit pattern on ‘mlumah’ sheath). Remember, the kendhit pattern may also go through the warangka in this circumstance
2. The kendhit pattern which was made by drawing it (certainly a fake).
3. The kendhit pattern which was made by patching the wood with pelet from another wood. Some minor patches in kendhit pattern would be acceptable, but if the majority of the pattern come up from patching, well, it can’t be classified as a real kendhit, can it?

Originally Posted by ganjawulung

Hi Marco,

.. with "mendak" (hilt ring) of "meniran" type. Yogyakartanese hilt, is better without selut. Simplicity, is the philosophy of Yogyakarta. Contrary with Solonese, which is more "gebyar" or glamour than Yogyakartanese..

Mas Ganjawulung, I believe the proper name in Jogjakarta’s style mendhak you previously referred as "meniran" type is ‘mendhak lugas’ (lugas = plain, that is, without stone). Mendhak with one tier stone is ‘mendhak kendhit’, and three tiers is called ‘mendhak robyong’. A one tier mendhak with alternatively white-and-red stone (diamond and ruby) is called ‘nyonyah nginang’ (a lady chewing pinang/sirih) and those with diamond, ruby and emerald (white, red and green) is called ‘rujak wuni’ (rujak=a fruit salad). IMHO, selut on the Marco’s first hilt is also reflecting Jogjakarta philosophy : simplicity

Actually, IMHO, the mendhak on the Marco's second hilt isn't Jogjakarta's style mendhak. If I'm not mistaken, it is Surakarta's 'bejen'. The first one is Mendhak kendhit. See carefully at the 'ungkat-ungkatan' (the tumpeng/gunung/ cone-shape between the ball/stones)

wish may help

boedhi adhitya