Interesting big sized javanese keris

Gustav · 23rd April 2010, 11:17 AM

Dear All,

I acquired this keris slightly more the a month ago. The pics from seller (Netherlands) were as they mostly are, but I was absolutely aware of that it would be a low-average quality keris, yet something very interesting to study, learn about keris. The money was also not big, so I have it now.

What attracted my attention was the rather substantial body of the blade. If we look at the keris from old european collections (17. cent.) in Karsten Sejr Jensen's book or Krisdisk, the javanese blades there are often very substantial in width and length.

(Of course my blade very possibly is younger then 17. cent.)

It came in an older East-Javanese wrongko, which is original to the blade; and it has a not recent mendak and nice East-Javanese hilt. Gandar is missing.

Length of the blade: 41,5 cm, width of the gonjo: 9,4 cm, width at the third luk: 3 cm.

It has full ricikan: blumbangan, two sogokan, kembang kacang with jenggot, jalen, one lambe gajah, tikel alis, kruwingan, greneng with ron dha nunut, ada-ada till the tip of the luk 13 blade.

The gonjo is Sebit Ron, Sebit Ron Tal.

The blade is very substantial but feels light for this size. Pamor is a lush wos wutah (probably called Pedharingan Kebak ?).

There is a great number of shortcomings, some caused by working process, some by wear:

1) greneng is not evenly cut, dha's doesn't have the same size and form;

2) the biggest fault, probably evident from the first day, is the loss of a layer at the Sirah Cecak of gonjo. It was caused by the obstacle, the smith choosed to forge a gonjo with horizontal layers (some sort of gonjo with pamor Mas Kemambang probably?), and not vertical, which would probably give the same wos wutah pamor (?) and be the aesthetically more satisfying and more common version.

The horizontal layers wasn't even and perfectly horizontal, and probably due to bad forging work or metal quality there is a loss of a part of the last layer and a gap;

3) kembang kacang has been pushed in to the gandhik, jenggot is almost completely gone;

Gustav · 23rd April 2010, 11:37 AM

4) the most disturbing is the loss of material at the upper part of wadidang;

5) at two places (one on each side, both times inner curvature) the pamor material not perfectly covering slorok.

6) on one side (kembang kacang to wright when held in the hand) the sogokan and tikel alis are better cut, with a good drive, on the other (the common side, kembang kacang to left) the sogokan are a little bit stiff, to even in the width, the lis at the end of tikel alis a little bit blurred.

Gustav · 23rd April 2010, 11:41 AM

The blade;

Gustav · 23rd April 2010, 11:48 AM

A nice East Javanese hilt, the "nose" is partially broken. It has an interesting "shadow" on one side, may be it could be called "pelet wayang"?

The patra's were full till surface with old hardened oil & dirt.

Gustav · 23rd April 2010, 11:53 AM

Wrongko seems to be original (there is a damage at the gandhik side, but all other inner sides are well patinated). It has a nice wood grain, has been broken an glued together.

Pesi is substantial, appropriate to the blade.

This was my attempt to do a "documentation" of a keris, what I see when I look at it "technically".

Regarding this keris I have some questions. Could we call it an East Javanese keris? What are the features typical for an East Javanese keris? Are the blades also in 18. and 19. cent. more substantial then Central Javanese? What is known about size as a rank indicator for the wearer?

Sajen · 23rd April 2010, 01:51 PM

Hello Gustav,

interesting keris. What come direkt in my mind by you description is what Alan G. Maisey write in a other thread some time ago:
Sajen, its an old keris, and its not a bad keris. Not all keris are masterworks of the art. This is a good, solid, representative keris of its type, personally, I like it.

My own collection is the product of more than 50 years of collecting, I do have some very exceptional pieces in that collection, but I also have a lot of keris that are far, very far, from perfect, and if I consider those keris with which I would not part, most of the keris in this category are the very imperfect ones that I feel a bond with, rather than the princely pieces adorned in gold.

When you buy keris, it is perhaps best to choose those keris that you personally like, and think you might be able to feel something for, rather than a piece of perfection that leaves you cold.If you can find the aesthetically beautiful keris, and you feel something for it as well, that's when you've hit the jackpot.

Wrongko seems to be Kemuning wood. My feeling is the same as yours, I think it is a east javanese keris.

Regards,

Detlef

23rd April 2010, 11:17 AM	#1
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,246	Interesting big sized javanese keris Dear All, I acquired this keris slightly more the a month ago. The pics from seller (Netherlands) were as they mostly are, but I was absolutely aware of that it would be a low-average quality keris, yet something very interesting to study, learn about keris. The money was also not big, so I have it now. What attracted my attention was the rather substantial body of the blade. If we look at the keris from old european collections (17. cent.) in Karsten Sejr Jensen's book or Krisdisk, the javanese blades there are often very substantial in width and length. (Of course my blade very possibly is younger then 17. cent.) It came in an older East-Javanese wrongko, which is original to the blade; and it has a not recent mendak and nice East-Javanese hilt. Gandar is missing. Length of the blade: 41,5 cm, width of the gonjo: 9,4 cm, width at the third luk: 3 cm. It has full ricikan: blumbangan, two sogokan, kembang kacang with jenggot, jalen, one lambe gajah, tikel alis, kruwingan, greneng with ron dha nunut, ada-ada till the tip of the luk 13 blade. The gonjo is Sebit Ron, Sebit Ron Tal. The blade is very substantial but feels light for this size. Pamor is a lush wos wutah (probably called Pedharingan Kebak ?). There is a great number of shortcomings, some caused by working process, some by wear: 1) greneng is not evenly cut, dha's doesn't have the same size and form; 2) the biggest fault, probably evident from the first day, is the loss of a layer at the Sirah Cecak of gonjo. It was caused by the obstacle, the smith choosed to forge a gonjo with horizontal layers (some sort of gonjo with pamor Mas Kemambang probably?), and not vertical, which would probably give the same wos wutah pamor (?) and be the aesthetically more satisfying and more common version. The horizontal layers wasn't even and perfectly horizontal, and probably due to bad forging work or metal quality there is a loss of a part of the last layer and a gap; 3) kembang kacang has been pushed in to the gandhik, jenggot is almost completely gone; Last edited by Gustav; 23rd April 2010 at 12:34 PM.

23rd April 2010, 11:37 AM	#2
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,246	4) the most disturbing is the loss of material at the upper part of wadidang; 5) at two places (one on each side, both times inner curvature) the pamor material not perfectly covering slorok. 6) on one side (kembang kacang to wright when held in the hand) the sogokan and tikel alis are better cut, with a good drive, on the other (the common side, kembang kacang to left) the sogokan are a little bit stiff, to even in the width, the lis at the end of tikel alis a little bit blurred. Attached Images Last edited by Gustav; 23rd April 2010 at 12:26 PM.

23rd April 2010, 11:41 AM	#3
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,246	The blade; Attached Images

23rd April 2010, 11:48 AM	#4
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,246	A nice East Javanese hilt, the "nose" is partially broken. It has an interesting "shadow" on one side, may be it could be called "pelet wayang"? The patra's were full till surface with old hardened oil & dirt. Attached Images

23rd April 2010, 11:53 AM	#5
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,246	Wrongko seems to be original (there is a damage at the gandhik side, but all other inner sides are well patinated). It has a nice wood grain, has been broken an glued together. Pesi is substantial, appropriate to the blade. This was my attempt to do a "documentation" of a keris, what I see when I look at it "technically". Regarding this keris I have some questions. Could we call it an East Javanese keris? What are the features typical for an East Javanese keris? Are the blades also in 18. and 19. cent. more substantial then Central Javanese? What is known about size as a rank indicator for the wearer? Attached Images Last edited by Gustav; 23rd April 2010 at 12:29 PM.

23rd April 2010, 01:51 PM	#6
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,761	Hello Gustav, interesting keris. What come direkt in my mind by you description is what Alan G. Maisey write in a other thread some time ago: Sajen, its an old keris, and its not a bad keris. Not all keris are masterworks of the art. This is a good, solid, representative keris of its type, personally, I like it. My own collection is the product of more than 50 years of collecting, I do have some very exceptional pieces in that collection, but I also have a lot of keris that are far, very far, from perfect, and if I consider those keris with which I would not part, most of the keris in this category are the very imperfect ones that I feel a bond with, rather than the princely pieces adorned in gold. When you buy keris, it is perhaps best to choose those keris that you personally like, and think you might be able to feel something for, rather than a piece of perfection that leaves you cold.If you can find the aesthetically beautiful keris, and you feel something for it as well, that's when you've hit the jackpot. Wrongko seems to be Kemuning wood. My feeling is the same as yours, I think it is a east javanese keris. Regards, Detlef