An important keris Kamardikan for our records

Sajen · 8th June 2023, 06:22 PM

I want to save this keris Kamardikan for our records!

David · 8th June 2023, 09:53 PM

Nice looking Mahesa Kanthong blade. I like the sunggingan as well. Is this just something you ran across on the internet or do you own it. Kebo/Mahesa keris are another special interest of mine.

What makes it "important" to you?

Sajen · 8th June 2023, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Nice looking Mahesa Kanthong blade. I like the sunggingan as well. Is this just something you ran across on the internet or do you own it. Kebo/Mahesa keris are another special interest of mine.

What makes it "important" to you?

Hello David,

Thank you for your comment! And no, sadly I am not the owner of this keris but have handled it many times. It is now in Saudi Arabia with a person who don't will know about this keris.
The importance I will exemplify a little bit later, I hope that Alan will recognize this thread and I am curious what he thinks about this keris.
One thing I can tell before, the wrongko and the sunggingan are the work of the people who work to this time for the keraton Solo.
And we seems to have some similar interests, I also have a special interest in Kebo/Mahesa blades.

Regards,
Detlef

Gustav · 8th June 2023, 10:56 PM

Looks like a Keris from Jitar.
(Which means Djeno or his relatives, but this really looks like Djeno or Yosopangarso.)

High quality indeed.
Perhaps except for the Mendak, but the fit of it is good.

Sajen · 9th June 2023, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gustav

Looks like a Keris from Jitar.
(Which means Djeno or his relatives, but this really looks like Djeno or Yosopangarso.)

High quality indeed.
Perhaps except for the Mendak, but the fit of it is good.

Wow, Gustav, you have a very good eye!

This keris was ordered 1990 by Dietrich Drescher by Djeno and when I remember correctly 5 years later finished and fetched by Wolfgang Spielmann and was until his death in his possession. The wrongko is from cendana but by carving a little fault pops up so it gets its sunggingan.
Regards,
Detlef

A. G. Maisey · 9th June 2023, 12:52 AM

Yes Detlef, I have noticed this thread, but I cannot really contribute much.

In 1990 the man who was recognised as probably the best sunggingan artist in Solo, and some people believed that he was one of the best of all time, was an artist from Pajang, just next to the rail crossing, his name was Legiman.

I have looked closely at the sunggingan work on this wrongko, and to my eye it does not appear to be Legiman's work.

I have a number of wrongkos that were painted by Legiman, and in fact, he was the only artist that I ever used for sunggingan work. When his eyesight started to go I stopped ordering from him, and any sunggingan work I acquired after that was not bespoke, but purchased from a dealer.

I am uncertain if Legiman was still working at his best at around 1995, when it seems that this keris was dressed, but if the work was not done by Legiman, I would have no hope of identifying who might have done it.

I do not know who might have painted this wrongko, nor who might have made the wrongko itself.

The keris itself certainly does look like the work of Djeno. I will not comment on this blade because the indicators that I have been taught to use in the appraisal of quality vary very widely from the ideas of collectors in the Western World, & for that matter from the ideas of most people in Indonesia who are outside Solonese society.

8th June 2023, 06:22 PM	#1
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,781	An important keris Kamardikan for our records I want to save this keris Kamardikan for our records! Attached Images

8th June 2023, 10:56 PM	#4
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,249	Looks like a Keris from Jitar. (Which means Djeno or his relatives, but this really looks like Djeno or Yosopangarso.) High quality indeed. Perhaps except for the Mendak, but the fit of it is good. Last edited by Gustav; 8th June 2023 at 11:49 PM.

8th June 2023, 09:53 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,124	Nice looking Mahesa Kanthong blade. I like the sunggingan as well. Is this just something you ran across on the internet or do you own it. Kebo/Mahesa keris are another special interest of mine. What makes it "important" to you?

9th June 2023, 12:52 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,893	Yes Detlef, I have noticed this thread, but I cannot really contribute much. In 1990 the man who was recognised as probably the best sunggingan artist in Solo, and some people believed that he was one of the best of all time, was an artist from Pajang, just next to the rail crossing, his name was Legiman. I have looked closely at the sunggingan work on this wrongko, and to my eye it does not appear to be Legiman's work. I have a number of wrongkos that were painted by Legiman, and in fact, he was the only artist that I ever used for sunggingan work. When his eyesight started to go I stopped ordering from him, and any sunggingan work I acquired after that was not bespoke, but purchased from a dealer. I am uncertain if Legiman was still working at his best at around 1995, when it seems that this keris was dressed, but if the work was not done by Legiman, I would have no hope of identifying who might have done it. I do not know who might have painted this wrongko, nor who might have made the wrongko itself. The keris itself certainly does look like the work of Djeno. I will not comment on this blade because the indicators that I have been taught to use in the appraisal of quality vary very widely from the ideas of collectors in the Western World, & for that matter from the ideas of most people in Indonesia who are outside Solonese society.