Kris identification

[francantolin]

Hello,

A special message for ''Kris specialists'',
I have this kris with special straight shape.

The handle is recent but the blade looks very old:
straight blade and strange ''pamor ?''
I wonder what material it can be ( and if it is authentic) : the dagger is really light in hand, not as if it was an iron blade.

I'm not a specialist so maybe can somebody give me informations about age ? Origin ? ''material'' ( I heard about meteor iron...)

Thank you

[Jussi M.]

Sorry, I cannot be of help to you re the actual questions but I´d like to comment on the peculiar mendak (ring in the base of the hilt where it meets the "guard"). - Is this a mark of "internationalization" re the keris dress or "indigenous"?

I do not remember seeing such a "celtic" mendak before?

[David]

Hi Francantolin. I will see if i can address some of your questions.

Originally Posted by francantolin

A special message for ''Kris specialists'',
I have this kris with special straight shape.

I am afraid i do not see anything particularly "special" about the shape of this keris. Straight keris are actually more common than wavy ones.

Originally Posted by francantolin

The handle is recent but the blade looks very old:
straight blade and strange ''pamor ?''

You have not provided very good photos, but while the handle is in all probability younger than the blade it does look to have some age to it and looks like an interesting variation on the classic Surakarta planar hilt. The blade does indeed look old, though i will leave it to others to put it in a time frame if they can. Though well out of stain the pamor does not seem unusual or strange to me.

Originally Posted by francantolin

I wonder what material it can be ( and if it is authentic) : the dagger is really light in hand, not as if it was an iron blade.

I would say that it is definitely authentic, though no great piece of work. Old village work. It is probably light because of years of acid washing that has worn the blade down over time. I looks like a normal, old. worn blade to my eyes.

Originally Posted by francantolin

I'm not a specialist so maybe can somebody give me informations about age ? Origin ? ''material'' ( I heard about meteor iron...)

On original this looks like an old Javanese blade. Wiser minds might be able to place it more precisely, though the further outside the court the manufacture is the more difficult it would be to place the exact region. Forget about meteoric pamor. Legends have gotten quite out of hand on this subject. If you search our site for this you will no doubt find pages of discussion. The short of it is that only one iron bearing meteor has ever been recorded to fall in Jawa in the mid 18th century and it's use in keris is rather reserved to high end and court pieces of which this is not.
On the mendak (the metal ring between the hilt and blade) that Jussi mentioned, i would opine that it was added outside of the culture and does not belong with this keris.
Is there a sheath for this ensemble?

[francantolin]

Thank you both for all comments !!

Yes the mendak is like a ring and is not authentic ...
That's why I asked about the blade.
All the pieces are mixed in this kris...

I put some pictures of the scabbard but looks more recent too.

Best regards

Frankie

[David]

Your sheath looks like it is of Madurese origin. Most likely this keris was thrown together from various parts to make it sellable.

[Henk]

The wooden parts of a keris are often replaced because of the climate.

The ukiran or handle is Javanese and has some age.
Could you make a picture of the mendak? Some mendaks have a ring form.
The scabbard is madurese. The pictures are of a poor quality, but it looks like a well carved scabbard.
The blade is a nice old blade, but as David said, nothing special.

[Jean]

Originally Posted by Henk

The blade is a nice old blade, but as David said, nothing special.

The blade (probably from East Java or Madura) is certainly old but it is thinned (light weight as said by Frankie), corroded at the edges near the tip especially, the pamor is indistinct, and the surface is severely pitted.
Sorry, this is not what I call a nice blade!
Regards