Another Blade for ID please.

[milandro]

you may have seen the other blade for which I would like to have your help with identification..... and while I was busy with that blade, I came across this other one.

I know that buying an naked blade opens a whole new chapter which some may call “ a can of worms” to try to fit things to it but such is life! In an Ideal world we find complete krises but the reality is different.

The seller described this as a Javanese blade but It really doesn’t look like one.
It is very smooth and refined in its simplicity. I like it very much. Loos like it may be keeling although is you look at the metal there may be some waves in the structure.

Someone suggested it may be Dapur Megantoro but immediately said that there were parts not making it so.


So, what is it? What would be nice complements to it? Thank you

[jagabuwana]

I'd have guessed Javanese. The execution on the greneng is intriguing. Tikel alis looks to be in the old style.
I wonder if the fairly dainty kembang kacang would support an East Java classification.

[David]

Originally Posted by milandro

I know that buying an naked blade opens a whole new chapter which some may call “ a can of worms” to try to fit things to it but such is life! In an Ideal world we find complete krises but the reality is different.

In one sense, yes it does, but full dress really only tells us (perhaps) where the keris was dressed, not the origin of the blade itself.
I agree with Jag that this seems Javanese in origin, though i see what he means about the kembang kacang in relation to East Jawa.
What is most strange about this blade to me in the gonjo. It is somewhat like Gonjo Wilut, as you can see depicted in this illustration, but yours is flat on the bottom. Never seen the on any variety of wavy gonjo before. My first thought was that it might be a replacement gonjo that was adapted from something already formed, but when i look at it closely the iron seems the same and the pitting and wear but the pesi looks exactly the same on the gonjo as it does on the blade itself, so it all seems original.

[milandro]

Thanks, indeed the Ganja looks and feels absolutely contemporary to the rest of the blade.

The Sarong is not there so , I cannot refer to a Sarong that would have been there. I’ve shown this to some local kris people and they competed that they didn’t think this was Javanese.

But there you go, we shall see!

I can add that it feels extremely smooth to the touch comparable only to some of the Balinese blades that I have

[jagabuwana]

Milandro, how long is this keris?

[David]

Originally Posted by milandro

Thanks, indeed the Ganja looks and feels absolutely contemporary to the rest of the blade.

The Sarong is not there so , I cannot refer to a Sarong that would have been there. I’ve shown this to some local kris people and they competed that they didn’t think this was Javanese.

But there you go, we shall see!

I can add that it feels extremely smooth to the touch comparable only to some of the Balinese blades that I have

Well, it does not appear to be Balinese to my eyes.
It should be noted that the practice of polishing blades to a smooth finish was once the case in Jawa as well as Bali.

[kai]

it feels extremely smooth to the touch comparable only to some of the Balinese blades that I have

From the pic, the blade has been smoothened out a bit; it's not in full polish though. (E.g. it doesn't seem to have the fine polish one would expect of a quality blade from Bali in original condition.)

Based on the limited but uneven pitting (several plausible causes though), the steel doesn't seem to hold up especially well, too. I'd suppose it wasn't washed enough during the initial forge work.

This blade screams kamardikan to me. Very upright/stiff posture. Especially the gonjo construction doesn't make any sense! (The thinnest, weak part around the pesi just asks for a break...)

Probably impossible to fathom any specific origin, at least based on traditional cues... I certainly wouldn't be surprised to learn this being done by a modern Madurese pande keris; OTOH, it could be from pretty much anywhere else, too, I guess.

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Someone suggested it may be Dapur Megantoro but immediately said that there were parts not making it so.

Did you ask what this suggestion was based on?

For the life of me, I can't see any of the typical megantoro features in this example!

Regards,
Kai

[A. G. Maisey]

Two questions:-

can we please have a photo, or maybe if necessary a couple of photos that show the top of the gonjo, ie, looking straight down onto the tip of the pesi; I would like to see the overall outline and especially the sirah cecak and buntut urang.


what is the length of this blade?

[milandro]

36cm the blade proper 44cm including the peksi which feels strong.

I never even suggested it was Balinese I just said that it is as smooth as some of the balinese krises in my possession.

Pictures as requested.

[kai]

I never even suggested it was Balinese I just said that it is as smooth as some of the balinese krises in my possession.

Yes, I noted that you did not suggest that. Just wanted to point out that the surface is not typical/traditional Bali either.

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Thanks for the pics!

The sirah cecak is quite asymmetrical...

[David]

Originally Posted by milandro

I never even suggested it was Balinese I just said that it is as smooth as some of the balinese krises in my possession.

While i realize that you never stated that you thought it was Balinese and understand now that you don't believe it is, when you make a post saying that local keris people didn't think it was Javanese, but then say that the surface of the blade is similar to some Balinese keris you have seen that can indeed appear as a suggestion that you might believe it could be Balinese.