Kebo keris from Bali

Athanase · 17th May 2022, 11:43 PM

Hello,
Here is one of the Balinese Ke=riss who arrived home a few months ago.
I like his blade with an unusual Dapur and would love to know more about it.

Like half of the Keris I buy in France, the handle is stuck with glue the wrong way round. As I'm in the middle of work and relocation at the moment, I didn't have time to try to fix it.

A. G. Maisey · 18th May 2022, 12:54 AM

Could you please advise blade length?

Thanks.

Marcokeris · 18th May 2022, 10:21 PM

nice keris

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David · 18th May 2022, 10:59 PM

It is obviously quite a bit shorter than the sheath. Are you suspecting this could be a Javanese blade Alan?

Athanase · 18th May 2022, 11:16 PM

Oh Sorry I forget the length.

the blade length is 36cm.

A. G. Maisey · 19th May 2022, 01:09 AM

Thank you Athanase.

So, 36cm = +/- 14.25 inches.

After I asked my question I scaled it from your photos and came up with +/- 15"

This keris, blade only, is not of Balinese origin, it was made in Jawa, probably East Jawa, but it has obviously been in Bali for a long time, as the blade finish is what we expect to see on a Balinese keris.

Even without knowing the length, my first impression was that I was looking at a Javanese keris. We seldom meet with Balinese keris that have a Kebo form, and even though the greneng on this keris does show erosion, it seems to be clear that the original style of the rondha was a Javanese rather than a Balinese form.

In fact, many Balinese keris that are regarded as pusaka keris originated in Jawa. I have one such keris, which was a family pusaka, it is quite small, only about 12.5" long, and singo barong, material is classifiable as Majapahit, and the hilt is very old ivory bhuta, the wrongko first half 19th century or earlier.

The wrongko & hilt of your keris look to be at least pre-WWII, but the uwer is a much more recent production, I believe that you will find the "stones" to be plastic.

I would not fiddle too much with this keris, a bit of TLC for the wrongko & hilt, good quality furniture wax or oil, replace the uwer, give the blade a good wash with dishwash detergent and hot water, dry thoroughly, drench with WD40 and allow to dry before painting with fragrant oil, that's it.

The hilt being stuck is a bit of a problem, I'm not going to recommend anything here. There are a number of things that I would try if it were mine, but I cannot transfer my experience to you. The first, obvious thing is the old heat fix, this keris might not have a glued on hilt, rather, it might be rusted on, and if the tang gets broken taking the hilt off it can be a bit of a pain to remedy that situation.

To my way of thinking this is a keris that is a definite keeper.

17th May 2022, 11:43 PM	#1
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 408	Kebo keris from Bali Hello, Here is one of the Balinese Ke=riss who arrived home a few months ago. I like his blade with an unusual Dapur and would love to know more about it. Like half of the Keris I buy in France, the handle is stuck with glue the wrong way round. As I'm in the middle of work and relocation at the moment, I didn't have time to try to fix it. Attached Images

18th May 2022, 12:54 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,893	Could you please advise blade length? Thanks.

18th May 2022, 10:21 PM	#3
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	nice keris @@

18th May 2022, 10:59 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,124	It is obviously quite a bit shorter than the sheath. Are you suspecting this could be a Javanese blade Alan?

18th May 2022, 11:16 PM	#5
Athanase Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 408	Oh Sorry I forget the length. the blade length is 36cm.

19th May 2022, 01:09 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,893	Thank you Athanase. So, 36cm = +/- 14.25 inches. After I asked my question I scaled it from your photos and came up with +/- 15" This keris, blade only, is not of Balinese origin, it was made in Jawa, probably East Jawa, but it has obviously been in Bali for a long time, as the blade finish is what we expect to see on a Balinese keris. Even without knowing the length, my first impression was that I was looking at a Javanese keris. We seldom meet with Balinese keris that have a Kebo form, and even though the greneng on this keris does show erosion, it seems to be clear that the original style of the rondha was a Javanese rather than a Balinese form. In fact, many Balinese keris that are regarded as pusaka keris originated in Jawa. I have one such keris, which was a family pusaka, it is quite small, only about 12.5" long, and singo barong, material is classifiable as Majapahit, and the hilt is very old ivory bhuta, the wrongko first half 19th century or earlier. The wrongko & hilt of your keris look to be at least pre-WWII, but the uwer is a much more recent production, I believe that you will find the "stones" to be plastic. I would not fiddle too much with this keris, a bit of TLC for the wrongko & hilt, good quality furniture wax or oil, replace the uwer, give the blade a good wash with dishwash detergent and hot water, dry thoroughly, drench with WD40 and allow to dry before painting with fragrant oil, that's it. The hilt being stuck is a bit of a problem, I'm not going to recommend anything here. There are a number of things that I would try if it were mine, but I cannot transfer my experience to you. The first, obvious thing is the old heat fix, this keris might not have a glued on hilt, rather, it might be rusted on, and if the tang gets broken taking the hilt off it can be a bit of a pain to remedy that situation. To my way of thinking this is a keris that is a definite keeper.