Hi Kai,
I'm sure the traces are red lacquer. It blew me away too. Why this abundance???? What was there to prove or to claim? This is surely not a keris to wear or to show. I know, a keris sajen doesn’t come with kinatah. I noticed it only when I examined it outside and the sunlight made a couple of gold specs pop out. Then, when I checked it with magnifier glasses, the specs were all over the blade underneath the oil residue. Gold once covered the whole blade. The oil came later.
The layers which cover the blade consists of oil residue. The only way to get this, I know, is to oil it without cleaning of the earlier residue. Why was it left? If it was such an important keris, why wasn’t cleaned as ‘normal’ keris would have been? I can’t find any trace of pamor. Just sheats of metal covered with this residue through which the gold spec shine. Puzzeling….
Then again, why painting the scabbard black as if it had a pendok? The black is certainly a black lacquer resembling what I find on separately lacquered pendok. The meaning of black lacquer as far as I know, has to do with kraton pedigree. On the one hand humble and magical (sajen), on the other hand someone took great effort to mark it as important (Seals with PBX and black lacquered wooden sheet.) The keris fits beautifully in the scabbard, they are a match. The wood pamor showing a sumber. This was deliberatly chosen. It shows like it is an old scabbard fitting to an old keris but in a wonderful state. It must have been cared for, for a long time, otherwise it would already have rotted away or severely damaged. All contradictions and forming an enigma. The only answer I have is in the posts. I’m not sure which Allen’s thought are in this riddle.
I’m pretty sure Theo hasn’t seen this keris. The last time I met him in person must have been ten years ago or more. It was at his home, I believe when Dietrich Dresscher was there. The only one who knew where this keris came from was Martin Kerner. I've added a couple of pictures. No bended legs. Strange again.
