PATANI & COTENG (or Cho-teng)

Patani was an old sultanate located in the Southern Thailand covering today's provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, east of the Malay Peninsula. It was probably one of Sri Vijayan empire's conquest and one of the first Malay states to convert to Islam. During the 15th century,  Patani benefits from the Portuguese occupation of Malacca and becomes a major trading center for the Chinese and all S-E Asia. The Sultanate height is from 1580 to 1620, it then declined when Batavia became the new center of trade for the region.

The Patani Keris, called Tajong, differs slightly from its Northern variation, the Cho-Teng or Coteng (from the Songkhla province). Both share the Hulu Pekaka (kingfisher hilt), this name is used because of the long beak, however the hilt does not represent a bird, its more like a demonic figure with a long nose and bulgy eyes, it resembles a wayang character.

Here is a summary of the differences between a Tajong and a Coteng:

  TAJONG COTENG
Hilt - up-curved beak
- usually in wood, the beak can be fully or partially encased in silver or swasa, the base may also be encased, other parts of the tajong may also be covered by strips of metals, these strips usually cover the shoulders, the fangs, and the front of the crown, they are attached by tiny gold or silver needle-pegs.
- prominent crown
- extremely floral patterns
- straight elongated beak
- usually fully encased in silver, rarely in ivory
- vestigial crown or none
- more obvious anthropomorphic features
 

Sheath Gambar with up-curved tips. Gambar with up-curved tips, one being especially elongated.
 

Blade Diamond cross section extended to the ganja.
greneng, kembang kacang
Flat
Tajong

 

 

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