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Originally Posted by erikscollectables
Who on the forum has a description (in english) of the meaning / background of the Kebo Lajer dapur?
For some reason this form is my favourite and I have been able to acquire 4 of these (2 from a friend that have been displayed here on the forum before).
Ik know a dapur says nothing about the age of a piece but it seems most of the kerisses I have seen with this dapur appear to be very old.
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We in Java, colloquially very intimate with the word "kebo" which may means "kerbau" in Indonesian and Malay language, or "carabao" in English, which you may translate it as "water buffalo" as well...
Literally kebo lajer means "kebo" and "straight thing", and could be interpreted too as "male water buffalo".
Kebo Lajer keris? Some old javanese books -- written in javanese character or caraka script -- usually only described in picture of this dapur. But you may look back at Mr G Tammens (1915) for instance, in his "De Kris, Magic Relic of Old Indonesia" in one of his books. He has a description and picture of a kebo lajer blade -- which he (could be) mispelled it as "kebo lajar" (page 215). The keris on the picture of his book, he said, "has been in the Netherlands for a long time. (Tammens said) attributed to empu Supo long ago. The peksi has got a flattened tip with a little hole, which also points to the famous empu..."
His old blade, which Tammens said as "a Mojopahit" (Majapahit) blade of 15th century, sheated in a gayaman iras warangka, and "nunggak semi" Solo hilt with overall length of 33 cm blade only...
Another book writer, Mr Haryono Guritno in his book "Keris Jawa, Antara Mistik dan Nalar" (Keris Jawa, between Myth and Logic), also wrote on this keris dapur, but no much explanation except describing this name, could means as "kebo jaler" too or "male water buffalo"..
Mr Harsrinuksmo, in his Ensiklopedi book, elaborate this very popular dapur in Jawa, that kebo lajer is liked by ordinary people in agricultural area. Some keris lover -- he said -- believed that such dapur of keris has good "tuah" (magic power?) in "helping peasant to get their better life.." And so on...
Dapur "Gumbeng" also has similarity with kebo lajer. It has a long gandhik too, but the blade is wider than kebo lajer, and shorter.
Hope it will help you to appreciate this popular dapur in Jawa...
Could you please upload pictures of your kebo, if you don't mind?
GANJAWULUNG