Corrosion on gilded keris blade

[oariff]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Yes, fire gilding was used, and maybe still is used. There was an old bloke in Solo who was doing it up until a few years ago I don't know if he still is.

Kinatah work has several levels of quality, and I doubt that I know them all.

Probably the very best is the method where the steel is carved to approximate shape, then fairly heavy gold is applied over the carving in a similar fashion to koftgari work, and that gold is then carved with the motif.

Then there is the work that is essentially koftgari, and uses gold of about the same weight as other koftgari.

Then we have the cheapy stuff where thin gold sheet is glued over the steel. I've seen really old work done like this and using a heavy sort of natural resin, but these days they use a modern glue, I don't know exactly what, but my guess would be Alteco, a super-glue.

Oh yes, there's another way of doing it where a hole with undercut sides is cut in the steel, then a gold plug is hammered into the hole, leaving a mass of gold on the blade surface, this external gold is then carved with the motif.

I have seen parts of all these processes, but I do not know any of them in detail.

Hi Alan,

Which method do you think has been applied in this keris?
Has this particular kinatah on both sides have a name?
When gold was first introduced into keris - was it for show of power/wealth or was it more for Tuah? Or both?

Cheers.