Balinese Keris for comments

A. G. Maisey · 22nd January 2017, 07:53 PM

The use of stones, pastes or glass in a Balinese hilt is not merely for decorative purposes. The type and/or colour of the stones carries talismanic intent, and it is this talismanic intent that is more important in the Balinese scale of values than the value of the actual stones.

I have yet to see gem quality stones used in a Balinese hilt, and I have seen and handled some of the best in existence. It is not at all uncommon for a gold hilt with an intrinsic value of tens of thousands of dollars to have a mix of precious stones, semi-precious stones, and glass or pastes.

Where a hilt/uwer/selut has stones/pastes/glass of the talismanically related types or colours we can be relatively certain that it has been made for Balinese use.

Where it does not have stones/pastes/glass that carry a talismanic value we can be relatively certain that the hilt was not intended for Balinese use, or in the case of an older hilt, that the original stones/pastes/glass have been replaced.

Even if every stone in this hilt under discussion was found to be diamond or ruby, the intrinsic value of those stones would be very small, as the stones that are invariably used, even in royal hilts of the highest quality are never of gem quality.

22nd January 2017, 07:53 PM	#15
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	The use of stones, pastes or glass in a Balinese hilt is not merely for decorative purposes. The type and/or colour of the stones carries talismanic intent, and it is this talismanic intent that is more important in the Balinese scale of values than the value of the actual stones. I have yet to see gem quality stones used in a Balinese hilt, and I have seen and handled some of the best in existence. It is not at all uncommon for a gold hilt with an intrinsic value of tens of thousands of dollars to have a mix of precious stones, semi-precious stones, and glass or pastes. Where a hilt/uwer/selut has stones/pastes/glass of the talismanically related types or colours we can be relatively certain that it has been made for Balinese use. Where it does not have stones/pastes/glass that carry a talismanic value we can be relatively certain that the hilt was not intended for Balinese use, or in the case of an older hilt, that the original stones/pastes/glass have been replaced. Even if every stone in this hilt under discussion was found to be diamond or ruby, the intrinsic value of those stones would be very small, as the stones that are invariably used, even in royal hilts of the highest quality are never of gem quality.