Help identify this kris

mpetr · 27th November 2021, 01:50 PM

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Could someone please give me some information about this kris? I inherited it from my Dad. He lived in Solo, but also travelled to Solo several times.
Thank you.

David · 28th November 2021, 03:39 AM

Your dad lived in Solo, but this keris is from Bali. The sheath is an old form of what many collectors have come to call "dance" sheaths. These are generally associated with Balinese tourist keris which often have blades that are made from a piece of sheet steel and ornamented with fake pamor patterns that are batiked onto the surface of the blades. But your keris appears to be a real pattern welded blade. Previous to making fake keris for souvenir keris, old worn out blades were sometimes used. Tourists wanted to take home keris they saw used in the Barong dances so people dancers might provide ones they no longer wanted. Occasionally though, you will find a fairly nice old keris in this form of dress because a bare blade needed a home and this was what was available at the time and on the budget.
We could probably tell you more about your keris and which of the above options your keris might be, however you left a good and rather important portion of the blade still covered by the top sheath of the scabbard. If it is stuck that way that is not the way it is supposed to be and you should gently try to remove the blade from this top part of the sheath. Once we can see the base of the blade more information can be gleaned.

A. G. Maisey · 28th November 2021, 06:20 AM

I think this is a pretty early keris of its type, I mean the dress, the blade is of course an older one, but as David has said:- we cannot see what we need to see.

David · 28th November 2021, 10:50 PM

I used to have a very similar sheath to this with a decent old Bali blade in it that i have since passed on. The motifs carved on this one are pretty much exactly the same, right down to the vegetal patterns on the stem as well as the checkerboard pattern at the toe. I have an image of the full sarong somewhere to show just how similar these are, but i can't seem to find it at the moment.

A. G. Maisey · 29th November 2021, 12:16 AM

Yep, nice old Bali Blade.

Worth preservation.

It would be tempting to put this blade into authentic Bali dress, but in the Time of Covid, that is a pretty big ask.

mpetr · 3rd December 2021, 08:45 AM

Here is another photo of this keris.

27th November 2021, 01:50 PM	#1
mpetr Member Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 5	Help identify this kris Could someone please give me some information about this kris? I inherited it from my Dad. He lived in Solo, but also travelled to Solo several times. Thank you.

28th November 2021, 10:50 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,125	I used to have a very similar sheath to this with a decent old Bali blade in it that i have since passed on. The motifs carved on this one are pretty much exactly the same, right down to the vegetal patterns on the stem as well as the checkerboard pattern at the toe. I have an image of the full sarong somewhere to show just how similar these are, but i can't seem to find it at the moment. Attached Images

3rd December 2021, 08:45 AM	#6
mpetr Member Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 5	Here is another photo of this keris. Attached Images

28th November 2021, 03:39 AM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,125	Your dad lived in Solo, but this keris is from Bali. The sheath is an old form of what many collectors have come to call "dance" sheaths. These are generally associated with Balinese tourist keris which often have blades that are made from a piece of sheet steel and ornamented with fake pamor patterns that are batiked onto the surface of the blades. But your keris appears to be a real pattern welded blade. Previous to making fake keris for souvenir keris, old worn out blades were sometimes used. Tourists wanted to take home keris they saw used in the Barong dances so people dancers might provide ones they no longer wanted. Occasionally though, you will find a fairly nice old keris in this form of dress because a bare blade needed a home and this was what was available at the time and on the budget. We could probably tell you more about your keris and which of the above options your keris might be, however you left a good and rather important portion of the blade still covered by the top sheath of the scabbard. If it is stuck that way that is not the way it is supposed to be and you should gently try to remove the blade from this top part of the sheath. Once we can see the base of the blade more information can be gleaned.

28th November 2021, 06:20 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,893	I think this is a pretty early keris of its type, I mean the dress, the blade is of course an older one, but as David has said:- we cannot see what we need to see.

29th November 2021, 12:16 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,893	Yep, nice old Bali Blade. Worth preservation. It would be tempting to put this blade into authentic Bali dress, but in the Time of Covid, that is a pretty big ask.