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Originally Posted by Jussi M.
...My question now is, is there a known lineage of designs that can be put onto a timeline of different Javanese kerises? ...
I do not mean to reinvent the Tangguh system. What I am after is a simple timeline with the development of the major designs. Does this exist and if it doesnt, can it be formulated?
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Dear Jussi,
(I try to respond this interesting question, in my limited ability in expressing English)
I hope, yes there is. But we must work hard to draw this timeline of the development of the major design in Javanese kerises, by ourselves..
Why workhard? Because sometimes we must draw more than two different major designs in one time frame. Tuban style -- for instance. Kerises which were made by Tuban keris makers, or empus (located around Surabaya now), they are (supposed to have) different styles depending on the location of the making and the time frame: Tuban Pajajaran (by Tuban empus in West Jawa, in Pajajaran era), Tuban Majapahit (in East Java, in Majapahit era), Tuban Mataram etc... Say it, Tuban keris makers migrated to certain centers of power at certain time frame to earn their lives...
So the timeline must be based on certain center of powers in the past, for instance -- timeline of design in Pajajaran (West Jawa -- before 13 century), or even Segaluh (older than Pajajaran). Timeline of Cirebon design in the north coast of West-Central Java (14-15th century), Banten Design in West Java, Demak design in the north coast of Central Java etc... Cirebon-Demak and then Banten, developped in almost one time frame -- Islamic era in the northern coast and west Java
Where do we begin the time line? I don't know. But maybe around 10th century, with the form of "keris budo" (believed to be oldest form of keris, although no pictured source on it...). But, I hope don't confuse it with the form of what mistakenly mentioned by certain Western writers as "keris majapahit" (although locally in Java, call them "keris sajen"...). Locally, Majapahit style (13th-15th century) regarded to be one of the best style in javanese keris, the golden era of Javanese keris making...
GANJAWULUNG