Bali keris advice and thoughts

A. G. Maisey · 26th December 2022, 02:28 AM

Sid, this is a Balinese keris, it is 41.2cm in length = +/-16.25", that is right on the edge of being too long for Javanese, apart from which the original catalog description comments that it is accompanied by a batun poh wrongko.

So question is now what has happened to the wrongko that was with it when it was exhibited?

The second thing is this:- it needs a baton poh wrongko , not a gayaman.

SidJ · 26th December 2022, 10:23 AM

Hi Alan
Yes you're right. I meant the batun poh. Presumably this is the commonly seen rounded mouthpiece Balinese scabbard shape so should be relatively easy to find.

Best
Sid

A. G. Maisey · 26th December 2022, 10:31 AM

It might not be Sid, but who knows?

You might get lucky.

SidJ · 26th December 2022, 11:22 AM

Alan
Sadly the scabbard it was exhibited with has been lost. It's odd this has occurred given it was in a collection and had a degree of public exposure. But I expect we will never know why this has happened.

A. G. Maisey · 26th December 2022, 06:39 PM

Maybe somebody needed a Bali scabbard Sid?

Unlike Javanese keris dress, Balinese keris dress is made specifically for each keris. In Jawa you can go to a market and have a wide choice of pre-made keris dress, and most Javanese keris are made within parameters that will permit most keris blades to fit most keris scabbards.

For Balinese keris the blade is given to a tukang wrongko & he makes the scabbard to fit.

26th December 2022, 02:28 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Sid, this is a Balinese keris, it is 41.2cm in length = +/-16.25", that is right on the edge of being too long for Javanese, apart from which the original catalog description comments that it is accompanied by a batun poh wrongko. So question is now what has happened to the wrongko that was with it when it was exhibited? The second thing is this:- it needs a baton poh wrongko , not a gayaman.

26th December 2022, 10:23 AM	#2
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	Hi Alan Yes you're right. I meant the batun poh. Presumably this is the commonly seen rounded mouthpiece Balinese scabbard shape so should be relatively easy to find. Best Sid

26th December 2022, 10:31 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	It might not be Sid, but who knows? You might get lucky.

26th December 2022, 11:22 AM	#4
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	Alan Sadly the scabbard it was exhibited with has been lost. It's odd this has occurred given it was in a collection and had a degree of public exposure. But I expect we will never know why this has happened.

26th December 2022, 06:39 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Maybe somebody needed a Bali scabbard Sid? Unlike Javanese keris dress, Balinese keris dress is made specifically for each keris. In Jawa you can go to a market and have a wide choice of pre-made keris dress, and most Javanese keris are made within parameters that will permit most keris blades to fit most keris scabbards. For Balinese keris the blade is given to a tukang wrongko & he makes the scabbard to fit.