Keris putut Kembar

kai · 30th December 2016, 11:13 AM

Hello Karel,

I find these type of keris terribly difficult to evaluate - it's a bit like keris sajen where examining the metal becomes paramount (something that is next to impossible to do from even good pics).

From looking at the pics only, I'd rather tend to see more wear at Jean's example (which doesn't necessarily translate into age, of course) and patina on the fittings. I don't know the provenance of your piece, but this would be perfectly preserved if it were antique and even early collected...

Likewise, I don't see any signs of the gandar being old - it's certainly possible/likely to have been worked over when the wronko/gambar got replaced. Either way, it doesn't make much of a difference, I guess.

The hilt is certainly an unusual combination and doesn't look that old to me, too. Despite its somewhat "tribal" feel, the figure seems to carry an arm in the right hand. In old hilts from Bali (associated with Rangda) this seems invariably carried left, doesn't? Also the arm has been separated from the indistinct carrying hand by making a cut with a saw (inadvertantly cutting into the hanging left arm, too); in really old hilts I'd expect such features to be carved, even when done under more "tribal" circumstances. If an pre-WW2 origin can be established by provenance, this hilt is certainly worthy to be kept for future research though!

Regards,
Kai

30th December 2016, 11:13 AM	#10
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Karel, I find these type of keris terribly difficult to evaluate - it's a bit like keris sajen where examining the metal becomes paramount (something that is next to impossible to do from even good pics). From looking at the pics only, I'd rather tend to see more wear at Jean's example (which doesn't necessarily translate into age, of course) and patina on the fittings. I don't know the provenance of your piece, but this would be perfectly preserved if it were antique and even early collected... Likewise, I don't see any signs of the gandar being old - it's certainly possible/likely to have been worked over when the wronko/gambar got replaced. Either way, it doesn't make much of a difference, I guess. The hilt is certainly an unusual combination and doesn't look that old to me, too. Despite its somewhat "tribal" feel, the figure seems to carry an arm in the right hand. In old hilts from Bali (associated with Rangda) this seems invariably carried left, doesn't? Also the arm has been separated from the indistinct carrying hand by making a cut with a saw (inadvertantly cutting into the hanging left arm, too); in really old hilts I'd expect such features to be carved, even when done under more "tribal" circumstances. If an pre-WW2 origin can be established by provenance, this hilt is certainly worthy to be kept for future research though! Regards, Kai