Comments/Opinions on keris singa barong

VANDOO · 12th July 2006, 04:54 AM

THE PEARL WAS SAID TO BE THE TEARS OF THE MOON AND SOME WERE SWALLOWED BY OYSTERS ,SOME WERE TAKEN UP BY DRAGONS AS THEIR MOST PRECIOUS POSSESION AND WERE CALLED PEARLS OF WISDOM WHEN IN THE DRAGONS POSSESION. THEY FIGURE IN A LOT OF OLD CHINESE LEGENDS THERE IS EVEN ONE ABOUT A FAMOUS DRAGON AND ITS PEARL THAT LIVED ON TOP OF MOUNT. KINABALU IN BORNEO. DRAGONS ARE OFTEN SEEN PURSUING THE FIRE PEARL IN CHINESE ART AND THE LION IN THE LION DANCE IS OFTEN TEASED BY A MAN WITH ONE DURING THE DANCE.
OFTEN IN CHINA THERE IS A STONE BALL IN THE MOUTHS OF THE GAURDIAN LIONS BY GATES AND DOORS IT IS GOOD LUCK TO SPIN IT 3 TIMES(IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) BEFORE ENTERING AND IT IS SAID IF YOU CAN REMOVE IT IT WILL TURN TO GOLD. SO I WOULD SAY THE LION OR TIGER (IT DOES HAVE STRIPES

) STANDS FOR POWER ,THE GOLD BALL FOR LUCK, WHISDOM AND PROSPERITY AND THE TYPE OF PARMOR ,BLADE SHAPE AND NUMBER OF LUKS WILL ALSO ADD TO ITS POWERS. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT A SCHOLAR OF THE KERIS BUT THIS WILL GIVE THE LAYMAN SOME IDEA OF THE SYMBOLISM AND POWERS THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE AND WHY THEY ARE CONSIDERED SO VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT.

BluErf · 12th July 2006, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

OFTEN IN CHINA THERE IS A STONE BALL IN THE MOUTHS OF THE GAURDIAN LIONS BY GATES AND DOORS IT IS GOOD LUCK TO SPIN IT 3 TIMES(IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) BEFORE ENTERING AND IT IS SAID IF YOU CAN REMOVE IT IT WILL TURN TO GOLD. SO I WOULD SAY THE LION OR TIGER (IT DOES HAVE STRIPES

) STANDS FOR POWER ,THE GOLD BALL FOR LUCK, WHISDOM AND PROSPERITY AND THE TYPE OF PARMOR ,BLADE SHAPE AND NUMBER OF LUKS WILL ALSO ADD TO ITS POWERS.

Thanks Vandoo. You know more about these things than I did, and I'm Chinese.

Next time I see a stone lion with a ball in it's mouth, I'll go spin it!

BluErf · 10th December 2006, 03:29 AM

He's back with a more appropriate ukiran.

And I noticed that Rick has a similar ukiran on his ladrangan Yogya.

http://www.kampungnet.com.sg/modules...view_album.php

Rick · 10th December 2006, 03:02 PM

Hi Kai Wee,
The work on the cecekans is extremely well done on this handle.
Semar is one of my favorite handle forms as possibly you can tell by my avatar.

The wood is just lovely.

Have you come to any conclusions about the age of this blade since you first posted?

Rick

David · 10th December 2006, 03:44 PM

Agreed, that is a lovely ukiran...and i also prefer your new choice of mendak.

Age is always a difficult thing to judge and they have gotten really good at different techniques of artifical aging. Regardless, i find this to be a very attractive keris, but i also understand the desire to KNOW one way or the other. I believe Kai Wee is correct that you can, from time to time, still find that excellent deal on a great old keris, and perhaps this is one of those times. As Alan suggested though, if one considers the price AND the source the answer might be implied. Either way i like it.

A. G. Maisey · 10th December 2006, 10:51 PM

Pretty nice keris, however, one thing troubles me with that singo barong:- I cannot see the lines of pamor continuing from the singo barong into the blade.
I have a couple of blades where the singo barong has been welded separately to the blade. When I bought them I did not see this, and only discovered it later. These blades have been inspected by some knowledgeable people, and they didn't see it either, until it was pointed out.

Kai Wee, I suggest that you inspect very carefully the entire area around the point where the singo barong joins the body of the blade, and a little further perhaps, and see if can find definite evidence of the grain of the metal continuing unbroken from the singo barong into the body of the blade.

The second handle you have fitted is a very nice handle, but it is not appropriate for this keris.

David · 10th December 2006, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

The second handle you have fitted is a very nice handle, but it is not appropriate for this keris.

Alan, given your experience with keris from this area i have no doubt you are correct about this, but would you mind explaining why for our edification?

10th December 2006, 03:29 AM	#3
BluErf Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,180	He's back with a more appropriate ukiran. And I noticed that Rick has a similar ukiran on his ladrangan Yogya. http://www.kampungnet.com.sg/modules...view_album.php Attached Images

12th July 2006, 04:54 AM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE PEARL WAS SAID TO BE THE TEARS OF THE MOON AND SOME WERE SWALLOWED BY OYSTERS ,SOME WERE TAKEN UP BY DRAGONS AS THEIR MOST PRECIOUS POSSESION AND WERE CALLED PEARLS OF WISDOM WHEN IN THE DRAGONS POSSESION. THEY FIGURE IN A LOT OF OLD CHINESE LEGENDS THERE IS EVEN ONE ABOUT A FAMOUS DRAGON AND ITS PEARL THAT LIVED ON TOP OF MOUNT. KINABALU IN BORNEO. DRAGONS ARE OFTEN SEEN PURSUING THE FIRE PEARL IN CHINESE ART AND THE LION IN THE LION DANCE IS OFTEN TEASED BY A MAN WITH ONE DURING THE DANCE. OFTEN IN CHINA THERE IS A STONE BALL IN THE MOUTHS OF THE GAURDIAN LIONS BY GATES AND DOORS IT IS GOOD LUCK TO SPIN IT 3 TIMES(IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY) BEFORE ENTERING AND IT IS SAID IF YOU CAN REMOVE IT IT WILL TURN TO GOLD. SO I WOULD SAY THE LION OR TIGER (IT DOES HAVE STRIPES ) STANDS FOR POWER ,THE GOLD BALL FOR LUCK, WHISDOM AND PROSPERITY AND THE TYPE OF PARMOR ,BLADE SHAPE AND NUMBER OF LUKS WILL ALSO ADD TO ITS POWERS. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT A SCHOLAR OF THE KERIS BUT THIS WILL GIVE THE LAYMAN SOME IDEA OF THE SYMBOLISM AND POWERS THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE AND WHY THEY ARE CONSIDERED SO VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT.

10th December 2006, 03:02 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Hi Kai Wee, The work on the cecekans is extremely well done on this handle. Semar is one of my favorite handle forms as possibly you can tell by my avatar. The wood is just lovely. Have you come to any conclusions about the age of this blade since you first posted? Rick

10th December 2006, 03:44 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,211	Agreed, that is a lovely ukiran...and i also prefer your new choice of mendak. Age is always a difficult thing to judge and they have gotten really good at different techniques of artifical aging. Regardless, i find this to be a very attractive keris, but i also understand the desire to KNOW one way or the other. I believe Kai Wee is correct that you can, from time to time, still find that excellent deal on a great old keris, and perhaps this is one of those times. As Alan suggested though, if one considers the price AND the source the answer might be implied. Either way i like it.

10th December 2006, 10:51 PM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Pretty nice keris, however, one thing troubles me with that singo barong:- I cannot see the lines of pamor continuing from the singo barong into the blade. I have a couple of blades where the singo barong has been welded separately to the blade. When I bought them I did not see this, and only discovered it later. These blades have been inspected by some knowledgeable people, and they didn't see it either, until it was pointed out. Kai Wee, I suggest that you inspect very carefully the entire area around the point where the singo barong joins the body of the blade, and a little further perhaps, and see if can find definite evidence of the grain of the metal continuing unbroken from the singo barong into the body of the blade. The second handle you have fitted is a very nice handle, but it is not appropriate for this keris.