hilt material ?

[kulbuntet]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Kulbuntet.

Thank you for your further comments.

We all form our opinions upon the basis of our own experience. I do not ever wish to force my opinions upon another.

My experience with museums and other "experts" is that very often they are guessing or relying upon things such as provenance when they affix ages to things such as keris.

Since keris hilt patterns from several hundred years ago are still being carved today, and were also carved in the recent past, the only indicators we have of age, apart from provenance , is wear and patina, then age becomes an informed guess based on experience.

Speaking for myself, I know of no way other than what I have just written that will give any indication of the age of a keris hilt.

Re the sun.

I eagerly await further information on this motif.

Alan,
Yes it is difficult to get sure about age.. But iff we dont try to use indicators we would never be able to give a age to a piece, more that its new or its old.. I remember someone that once told me that giveing a age to al wilah without feeling it, is almost imposilbe. That could be the same with ukiran or other thing..Dont know for sure, but on a forum it would be good to try to give atleast a impression for coninuation in a discusion. Several opinions could form a good impression maybe even an accepted "truth".

About the Sun,
I have asked the person of the dutch study group, and he was verry kind to give me a answer. Unluckly im not in possesion of the articles or publications mentioned. I hope to get in possesion of them, so i can suport the posiblity of the story written above (former post of me).
I will translate his reaction in englisch,

cultureel Indie deel 8 over Madurese krisgrepen. [[[Cultural indie part 8, about Maduran Keris hilts]]]

M Kerner,van Dapperen in Nion en Greffioz schrijven ook over Madurese grepen [[[M kerner, Van Dapperen in Nion And Greffioz also write about Maduran hilt]]]

On this moment i can not support nor denie the pobilility or fact that the publications wil support the info. I hope that more info will come soon, maybe one of the other (Dutch) people here has one or more info about this.

Regards Michel