MADURA ornamental hilts

David · 19th November 2014, 08:25 PM

I am reviving this thread because i have finally added one of these chunkier donorika hilts to my collection. The carving is good, but we certainly have much better already posted here. However, i am curious about one particular element in the carving that i have yet to see on these and i wonder whether there are any other examples of this motif out there that we have yet to see. It might just be my imagination, but i have showed this to 4 different people who without the slightest hesitation identified the lower carving on the back of this donorika as a skull. The one above it also looks like a styled face/mask, but it is the skull that really interests me. I have never seen a skull motif on these before, but it seems pretty intentional to me. What do you folks think?
Though not quite pertinent to this thread i also posted a close-up of the pelet wrongko simply because it is one of the most attractive ones i have ever seen. The same stringy pattern continues down the stem invoking all kinds of interesting imagery.

Also, i am curious Alan, if you ever spoke to your other Madurese source regarding the word "donoriko". We never returned to that subject and i think there is still a lot to be learned about these hilts and their possible symbolism.

A. G. Maisey · 20th November 2014, 04:17 AM

Yes, I have actually asked several people I know who either are Madurese, or who have lived in Madura, and their responses were all pretty similar to that of my d-i-l's mother.

Further, Aswin Wirjadi ( Pesona Hulu Keris) writes:-

"Nobody knows for sure the etymology of the word donoriko, but there is an assumption that it came from the word jenariko; the word jenar meaning yellow, and riko meaning you. This may have been used to adore Putri Kuning, the yellow queen of Madura."

Maybe.

My own possibility of origin is perhaps no less extreme.

Dono = dana = wedana (spelling is "dana", pronunciation is "dono", or in the case of the unabbreviated word "wedono")

Riko can mean you, or yours, it can also mean "over there"

A wedana is a district head; these big flamboyant hilts are pretty much what one might expect to see an important official wearing.

I'm inclined to think that there is a connection between the donoriko hilt and a district head, or wedana.

As for the skull, I know of no established related motif, however, I am now pretty convinced that the donoriko and similar Madura and North Coast hilts are distillations of the ancestor motif, so if this floral decoration can be read as a skull, it may well be a reference to the ancestor who is hidden in the foliage.

Sajen · 20th November 2014, 07:03 PM

It seems that you have been busy recently!

Very nice Donoriko form and a beautiful pelet wrongko.

I also have added recently a Donoriko hilt to my collection, will take pictures at weekend and show them here.

Regards,
Detlef

Paul Duffy · 20th November 2014, 11:32 PM

May I also offer my thanks to all who have posted photos on this thread.The workmanship is usually of very high quality, and the hilts themselves are well worth seeing.

19th November 2014, 08:25 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,044	I am reviving this thread because i have finally added one of these chunkier donorika hilts to my collection. The carving is good, but we certainly have much better already posted here. However, i am curious about one particular element in the carving that i have yet to see on these and i wonder whether there are any other examples of this motif out there that we have yet to see. It might just be my imagination, but i have showed this to 4 different people who without the slightest hesitation identified the lower carving on the back of this donorika as a skull. The one above it also looks like a styled face/mask, but it is the skull that really interests me. I have never seen a skull motif on these before, but it seems pretty intentional to me. What do you folks think? Though not quite pertinent to this thread i also posted a close-up of the pelet wrongko simply because it is one of the most attractive ones i have ever seen. The same stringy pattern continues down the stem invoking all kinds of interesting imagery. Also, i am curious Alan, if you ever spoke to your other Madurese source regarding the word "donoriko". We never returned to that subject and i think there is still a lot to be learned about these hilts and their possible symbolism. Attached Images

20th November 2014, 04:17 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,736	Yes, I have actually asked several people I know who either are Madurese, or who have lived in Madura, and their responses were all pretty similar to that of my d-i-l's mother. Further, Aswin Wirjadi ( Pesona Hulu Keris) writes:- "Nobody knows for sure the etymology of the word donoriko, but there is an assumption that it came from the word jenariko; the word jenar meaning yellow, and riko meaning you. This may have been used to adore Putri Kuning, the yellow queen of Madura." Maybe. My own possibility of origin is perhaps no less extreme. Dono = dana = wedana (spelling is "dana", pronunciation is "dono", or in the case of the unabbreviated word "wedono") Riko can mean you, or yours, it can also mean "over there" A wedana is a district head; these big flamboyant hilts are pretty much what one might expect to see an important official wearing. I'm inclined to think that there is a connection between the donoriko hilt and a district head, or wedana. As for the skull, I know of no established related motif, however, I am now pretty convinced that the donoriko and similar Madura and North Coast hilts are distillations of the ancestor motif, so if this floral decoration can be read as a skull, it may well be a reference to the ancestor who is hidden in the foliage.

20th November 2014, 07:03 PM	#3
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,569	It seems that you have been busy recently! Very nice Donoriko form and a beautiful pelet wrongko. I also have added recently a Donoriko hilt to my collection, will take pictures at weekend and show them here. Regards, Detlef

20th November 2014, 11:32 PM	#4
Paul Duffy Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 31	May I also offer my thanks to all who have posted photos on this thread.The workmanship is usually of very high quality, and the hilts themselves are well worth seeing.