Description:

Short sword "cenkrong" "keris sepang", "patrem"
Blade Central Java, Surakarta, late 19th century, scabbard possibly Cirebon, North Java
L. 45 cm
The saying "small but mighty" aptly applies to the piece presented here. Unlike most examples of its kind, the object allows for very precise chronological, spatial, and cultural-historical classification. The blade is a work from Central Java. The bulbous shape is typical of Surakarta ("gaya Solo," "wangun Solo") and, in particular, of the nem-neman era (roughly translated as "new new keris"), which broadly refers to the Pakubuwana II-IX era, but here primarily to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The blade has the shape of a sepang or cenkrong, sometimes referred to as a patrem. This otherwise seems to be a term for women's keris. While keris are a category of bladed objects primarily worn by men, this rule is permeable (and was arguably even more permeable in earlier centuries, especially in the late East Javanese era). Given its relatively small size, it is likely that the piece was actually made for a woman. The pamor (forging pattern) can be divided into two areas: the sorsoran (blade base) is made of beras wutah (flat layers of moderate density), and the front part is keleng (not a pamor), but with a refined structure (wasuhan). It is quite possible that the pamor was made of meteoric iron from Prambanan meteorites, as was not uncommon for higher-quality blades of this period. The blade shape cenkrong (sometimes also called chundrik) ultimately goes back to a hybrid formation of old sickle sword forms, as they were common in East Java in the 13th and 14th centuries and are often depicted on temple friezes, with the keris. The handle is made of elephant ivory and displays a beautiful aged patina. The curled, fern-like end is an element likely dating back to 16th-century Islamic influences, suggesting the stylization of a magically powerful anthropomorphic figure (e.g., as balu mekabun, Durga as a veiled widow). The base of the handle is made of dark buffalo horn. It fits precisely into the ladrang, the scabbard mouthpiece. The assembly is roughly contemporary with the blade. The shape of the mouthpiece, made of a heavily grained, indeterminate wood, suggests North Java (Cirebon), while the sheath (pendok, pendoq) is made of forged iron or steel. This may seem simple to us, but it is de facto a privilege of the highest classes in the keraton.
From an old German private collection, collected since the 1950s - The EU sales licence for this lot is available - This lot cannot be exported out of the European Union

Kurzes Schwert „cenkrong“ „keris sepang“, „patrem“
Klinge Zentral-Java, Surakarta, spätes 19. Jh., Scheide evtl. Cirebon, Nordjava
L. 45 cm
Auf das hier vorgestellte Stück kann die Redensart „klein, aber fein“ treffend angewendet werden. Das Objekt erlaubt - im Gegensatz zu den weitaus meisten Vertretern seiner Art -eine sehr präzise zeitliche, räumliche und kulturgeschichtliche Einordnung. Bei der Klinge handelt es sich um eine Arbeit aus Zentraljava. Die bauchige Form ist typisch für Surakarta („gaya Solo“, „wangun Solo“) und hier vor allem für die Ära nem-neman (übersetzt etwa „neue neue keris“), was sich in weiteren Sinne auf die Ära Pakubuwana II - IX, aber hier vor allem auf das spätere 19. und frühe 20. Jahrhundert bezieht. Die Klinge hat die Form sepang oder cenkrong, die manchmal auch als patrem bezeichnet wird. Dies scheint sonst eher ein Terminus von Frauen-keris zu sein. Keris sind zwar eine schwerpunktmäßig von Männern getragene Kategorie von Klingenobjekten, aber diese Regel ist durchlässig (und war in früheren Jahrhunderten, vor allem in der späten ostjavanischen Ära, wohl noch durchlässiger). Es ist aufgrund der relativ geringen Größe wahrscheinlich, dass das Stück tatsächlich für eine Dame gefertigt ist. Das pamor (Schmiedemuster) ist in zwei Bereich zu unterteilen, die sorsoran (Klingenbasis) ist in beras wutah (liegende Lagen mäßiger Dichte) gehalten, der vordere Teil ist kel

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October 1, 2025 10:00 AM CEST
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