Comments/Opinions on keris singa barong

Mudi · 12th July 2006, 04:29 AM

My father is Bugis but my mother is from Denpasar Bali. So I grow up with both culture. Each very different. The photo is not real sharp on my computer. I am not certain this is keris di Bali. I just offered suggestion that it could be from Bali. If I can find time, I will show some like this from Pak Dibia?s book or maybe from some keris Bali in our collection. Pak Dibia?s book shows many sarong just like this one. Also, many Balinese or Hindu Javanese are still in east Java. Same is with Lombok were keris made there cannot be certain if keris Lombok or keris Bali. In Indonesia all keris are brothers or family, so cannot always tell exactly where or what Empu made the keris.

nechesh · 12th July 2006, 04:55 AM

Well, the sarong looks East Javanese to me. Of course that is no assurance of the origins of the blade itself. No doubt you will still find communities of Balinese in East Jawa, but i would not compare this situation with Bali and Lombak. If i am not mistaken, the Balinese court actually once ruled over Lombak. This would not be the case in Jawa. That would have a very strong influence of the type of keris made in Lombok. That same Bali court influence did not exist in Jawa. Keris throughout Indonesia certainly are related and you are right to point out that at times it can be difficult to determine origin. I will take your statement one step further and suggest that unless one has strong provenence for a keris (which is rare) one can never know for sure what mpu made it. It is generally much easier to tell what area a keris is from. Still.....sometimes not.

I asked you the question because to me this appears to be a keris form well known to Jawa that was presented in East Jawa dress. The surface of this keris appears to be rough from etching, not polished as i understand is the tradition for Bali keris. I suppose it could be a Bali keris that has been kept in a Javanese manner, but i would just be guessing there. So i asked the question why you thought it might be Balinese because i thought you might have some substantial reasoning.

12th July 2006, 04:29 AM	#1
Mudi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Makassar, (Ujung Pandang), Sulawesi, Indonesia Posts: 38	My father is Bugis but my mother is from Denpasar Bali. So I grow up with both culture. Each very different. The photo is not real sharp on my computer. I am not certain this is keris di Bali. I just offered suggestion that it could be from Bali. If I can find time, I will show some like this from Pak Dibia?s book or maybe from some keris Bali in our collection. Pak Dibia?s book shows many sarong just like this one. Also, many Balinese or Hindu Javanese are still in east Java. Same is with Lombok were keris made there cannot be certain if keris Lombok or keris Bali. In Indonesia all keris are brothers or family, so cannot always tell exactly where or what Empu made the keris.

12th July 2006, 04:55 AM	#2
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Well, the sarong looks East Javanese to me. Of course that is no assurance of the origins of the blade itself. No doubt you will still find communities of Balinese in East Jawa, but i would not compare this situation with Bali and Lombak. If i am not mistaken, the Balinese court actually once ruled over Lombak. This would not be the case in Jawa. That would have a very strong influence of the type of keris made in Lombok. That same Bali court influence did not exist in Jawa. Keris throughout Indonesia certainly are related and you are right to point out that at times it can be difficult to determine origin. I will take your statement one step further and suggest that unless one has strong provenence for a keris (which is rare) one can never know for sure what mpu made it. It is generally much easier to tell what area a keris is from. Still.....sometimes not. I asked you the question because to me this appears to be a keris form well known to Jawa that was presented in East Jawa dress. The surface of this keris appears to be rough from etching, not polished as i understand is the tradition for Bali keris. I suppose it could be a Bali keris that has been kept in a Javanese manner, but i would just be guessing there. So i asked the question why you thought it might be Balinese because i thought you might have some substantial reasoning.