Types of Keris

A. G. Maisey · 11th November 2014, 12:56 PM

Ron, I can understand you thinking that a keris from Cirebon, a keris from Madura, and a keris of branggah style are all similar. In point of fact, if you had these three types in front of you, and then you picked them up one by one and handled them, they are all very, very different.

The problem is that in a photograph you only see the outline of something, you do not see the depth, nor can you assess the weight or the balance. To assess just about anything to do with keris, it is not at all satisfactory to try to assess it from a photograph.

However, putting that to one side, as Kai has said:- "look at the differences"

The understanding of keris involves looking at, reading, and understanding minute differences, often things that you cannot see without the aid of magnification, and that you certainly cannot see in a photograph --- well, not quite true, you can see some of these things in very good close-ups taken by a good photographer under good conditions with good equipment.

But even without those close-ups, look closely at just what you can see in the photos that have been posted above, look for the differences. The study of keris is all about the study of fine detail, not at all about superficial impressions. That fine detail can mean a lot of money when you get into the realm of serious keris collecting.

11th November 2014, 12:56 PM	#31
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,892	Ron, I can understand you thinking that a keris from Cirebon, a keris from Madura, and a keris of branggah style are all similar. In point of fact, if you had these three types in front of you, and then you picked them up one by one and handled them, they are all very, very different. The problem is that in a photograph you only see the outline of something, you do not see the depth, nor can you assess the weight or the balance. To assess just about anything to do with keris, it is not at all satisfactory to try to assess it from a photograph. However, putting that to one side, as Kai has said:- "look at the differences" The understanding of keris involves looking at, reading, and understanding minute differences, often things that you cannot see without the aid of magnification, and that you certainly cannot see in a photograph --- well, not quite true, you can see some of these things in very good close-ups taken by a good photographer under good conditions with good equipment. But even without those close-ups, look closely at just what you can see in the photos that have been posted above, look for the differences. The study of keris is all about the study of fine detail, not at all about superficial impressions. That fine detail can mean a lot of money when you get into the realm of serious keris collecting.