Asking for help in keris identification

Devadatta · 25th January 2011, 09:06 PM

Dear Colleagues,

I have these three keris in my collection, and I'm sure they are old ones. Unfortunatelly, a person in local community has an opinion they are new and souvenir ones. Taking in account so many specialist in Keris at this forum, I'd kindly ask you to confirm, who is correct. So below are the pics:

Devadatta · 25th January 2011, 09:09 PM

And one more..

Thank you in advance!

Marcokeris · 25th January 2011, 09:46 PM

From pics i like all three

David · 26th January 2011, 12:03 AM

Well Devadatta, you photos aren't all that good, but from what i can see these all seem like authentic keris with some degree of age. Your first example has a nice iras sheath (made all as one piece) which are less common and desirable.
Your last example may well have had the kinatah (gold) added more recently. This is sometimes done to make an old keris more desirable in the marketplace. It's hard for me to say one way or another, but i do find it an attractive keris either way and it has a nice old pendok (which might be a low grade silver, but is more likely some nickel based white metal).
I certainly would not label these as "tourist" keris. Does this person in your community fancy himself some kind of expert?

A. G. Maisey · 26th January 2011, 02:22 AM

I am very seldom very definite in giving an opinion from photos that I see on a computer screen. Especially one such as I am looking at at the moment.

However, in this instance I am quite confident in stating most definitely that these three keris have not been produced in the period after WWII.

By "keris" I mean the blade.

The complete weapon has dress to also take account of , and although this appears to have some age, and is 100% traditional in both style and execution, I cannot give an opinion on age from the photos.

As David has remarked, the gold kinatah work may have been renewed, but this is more a matter of maintenance than of falsification --- and the current prices for any sort of gold kinatah work here in Jawa are so outrageous that you should feel very happy to have a keris with a little bit of gold on it, no matter when it was put there.

simatua · 27th January 2011, 07:11 PM

These 3 keris look old to me, so i agree looking at these foto's they are all real & old keris, and not to be classified as keris Kamardikan ( freedom period of Indonesia after '45 )

About the dresses waranka, ukiran etc
1. seems old and authentic to me
2. waranka seems to be made more recently, from a lighter, and younger timoho, darkened up. looking at the proportions and model. (These changes are not unusual, and does notting off from the keris)
3. original and authentic materials, but mendak is Djogya style in stead of a Solo type.

....3 Nice ones

25th January 2011, 09:06 PM	#1
Devadatta Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 118	Asking for help in keris identification Dear Colleagues, I have these three keris in my collection, and I'm sure they are old ones. Unfortunatelly, a person in local community has an opinion they are new and souvenir ones. Taking in account so many specialist in Keris at this forum, I'd kindly ask you to confirm, who is correct. So below are the pics: Attached Images

25th January 2011, 09:09 PM	#2
Devadatta Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 118	And one more.. Thank you in advance! Attached Images

25th January 2011, 09:46 PM	#3
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	From pics i like all three

26th January 2011, 12:03 AM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,113	Well Devadatta, you photos aren't all that good, but from what i can see these all seem like authentic keris with some degree of age. Your first example has a nice iras sheath (made all as one piece) which are less common and desirable. Your last example may well have had the kinatah (gold) added more recently. This is sometimes done to make an old keris more desirable in the marketplace. It's hard for me to say one way or another, but i do find it an attractive keris either way and it has a nice old pendok (which might be a low grade silver, but is more likely some nickel based white metal). I certainly would not label these as "tourist" keris. Does this person in your community fancy himself some kind of expert?

26th January 2011, 02:22 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,876	I am very seldom very definite in giving an opinion from photos that I see on a computer screen. Especially one such as I am looking at at the moment. However, in this instance I am quite confident in stating most definitely that these three keris have not been produced in the period after WWII. By "keris" I mean the blade. The complete weapon has dress to also take account of , and although this appears to have some age, and is 100% traditional in both style and execution, I cannot give an opinion on age from the photos. As David has remarked, the gold kinatah work may have been renewed, but this is more a matter of maintenance than of falsification --- and the current prices for any sort of gold kinatah work here in Jawa are so outrageous that you should feel very happy to have a keris with a little bit of gold on it, no matter when it was put there.

27th January 2011, 07:11 PM	#6
simatua Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 69	These 3 keris look old to me, so i agree looking at these foto's they are all real & old keris, and not to be classified as keris Kamardikan ( freedom period of Indonesia after '45 ) About the dresses waranka, ukiran etc 1. seems old and authentic to me 2. waranka seems to be made more recently, from a lighter, and younger timoho, darkened up. looking at the proportions and model. (These changes are not unusual, and does notting off from the keris) 3. original and authentic materials, but mendak is Djogya style in stead of a Solo type. ....3 Nice ones