Question about black mandau

Battara · 21st November 2021, 09:55 PM

I'm still wondering if the former owner etched this in this way to bring out the brass inlays on the blade surface. When Balinese do this and there is nickel present in the blade, the nickel stands out prominently. Perhaps the former owner who got this to the auction market thought this was common throughout the entire Indonesian peninsula and would enhance the value by bringing out the inlays making it more attractive (if not incorrect).

I've seen this a lot on other pieces, for example, Moro kris being etched in a Javanese fashion. Looks great to some, but destructive and incorrect, and a mess that I have had to repair in the past.

21st November 2021, 09:55 PM	#11
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	I'm still wondering if the former owner etched this in this way to bring out the brass inlays on the blade surface. When Balinese do this and there is nickel present in the blade, the nickel stands out prominently. Perhaps the former owner who got this to the auction market thought this was common throughout the entire Indonesian peninsula and would enhance the value by bringing out the inlays making it more attractive (if not incorrect). I've seen this a lot on other pieces, for example, Moro kris being etched in a Javanese fashion. Looks great to some, but destructive and incorrect, and a mess that I have had to repair in the past.