An Old Keris

[Mans]

Originally Posted by Kiai Carita

......
Please if you can, could you elaborate on the reasons you think Oversky's is a Pamekasan keris? And what would the dates of the tangguh Pamekasan be, approximately? Thank you in advance.

Wassalam,
Selamat Maulud Nabi S.A.W (Happy Birthday of the Prophet (Peace be Upon Him)

Bram.

Dear all...
Wa'alaikum salaam Mas Bram.. Selamat Maulid Nabi juga,
Also I really thank you for your comment about my keris, Rick. I hope useful for all of us to learning the keris.

.....
Mas Bram, I feel we didn't talking about the keris by email for long time ya ? I hope you always fine and healthy...

Actually me my self just has a little expertise and experiences about the keris. So far, I'm still learning too.. So, perhaps I gave wrong opinion too.. And it shown that discussion, learning about local cultures, go to keris market and many places where the keris made are very important to do. ...

....
Indeed that the luks of my Pamekasan keris is more rengkol (wavier ?) than Oversky's keris. I had posted 2 pictures of Pamekasan keris which has different luks style. The second keris has wavier luks than first keris. So, both of these Pamekasan keris has different luks style, but has same characters of pamor style, iron work, gandik style, and pamor layers. Luks style is just one indocators to analysis the tangguh of the keris. Other indicators is gandik style. Here I posted the pictures of Pamekasan keris without kembang kacang. So, the style of the gandik is similiar with Oversky's keris. Pamekasan keris has gandik which more aslant (oblique) that usually Sumenep or Tuban keris. In the other side, layers of iron and pamor of Pamekasan keris is more little than usually Jawanese keris. At back side (Wadidang), the wavy Pamekasan keris usually has Ron Dha Nunut, and the Oversky's keris have it too. And if I can handed Oversky's keris by my self, I supposed that it havier than usually Jawanese keris. So, I supposed that his keris is Tangguh Pamekasan. And for the estimating era, Pamekasan keris like this usually made on Mataram era (about 17-18th century).

Well, that is my humble opinion, Mas Bram...

Wassalaam,
Hidayat.

[David]

Thanks for your illustrated clarification and opinions Mans. I am also inclined to place Oversky's keris in East Jawa or Madura. The sloping lean of the gandik seems to imply this as well. I would think though that in it's current condition and missing it's gonjo (amongst other things) it would be somewhat difficult to place within the tangguh system.
Oversky, i am afaid i do not see anything definitive that would identify this bit of pamor in your keris as being meteoric ore (aerosiderite). We have had may long threads on the difficulties of IDing such material in keris. You might want to use our search feature to find them.
This is not to say that it isn't possible that the material could be meteorite, though i am not sure it is likely.