Thank you very much once again for your insight
That picture of the pre-carving keris is very interesting, thank you
I thought the luk are forged though? Or do they get carved out of the picture you shared as well? Do you have recommendations on where to start learning more on the process of making these keris? It's a scarily complex world, but I enjoy learning more about it!
I thought the "sasra" bit comes from the naga body being along most of the blade... thank you for the correction, so it's the crown that makes it a "naga sasra". My research led to the crown turning it into a "naga raja"... just another example how lost I am in this matter still. So as to not jump to too many wrong conclusions I am consulting you guys. Thanks to all you helpful people for your guidance and assistance
Quote:
Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey
All of the details in a keris are carved into it, not forged into it.
Iron & steel are actually pretty soft after they have been annealed, & not at all difficult to carve with the correct traditional hand tools. These days most makers use electric tools for the carving, but you can still carve pretty quickly just using the traditional tools.
The picture is a keris forging as it has come from the forge. This is what we start with.
Yes, the naga here does have a crown, that's one of the things that makes him a Naga Sasra.
As for learning, well, there is no end to that. I've been studying the keris for over 70 years & I've only scratched the surface of what there is to learn.
There are many aspects to the keris, & study of it must go hand in hand with the study of the related culture & society.
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