Mahesa/Kebo

David · 9th June 2020, 11:48 PM

Thanks Alan. Of course, now that i have been living in rural Nova Scotia for a couple of years the farming in me may be beginning to surface. LOL!
I do understand your reasoning here and obviously we can see that even people consider themselves "authorities" will disagree on this stuff.
I am familiar with the drill on doing the fit. You may not remember, but i got this sheath through you and you walked me through the process back then. I did follow this technique as best i could, but was perhaps too impatient to achieve perfection at the time. As i stated though, i am fine with the fit as is, even if it is not perfect.
What i was hoping you might have an idea about is my question on the origin of this blade. We did discuss this before a long time ago with no firm conclusions, but these are better photos at a later date and perhaps you might have some ideas.

A. G. Maisey · 10th June 2020, 03:19 AM

I had forgotten that David, but when I looked at the dress it did look like the sort of thing that could have come from me.

Re blade origin, what I look for are indicators, and then it becomes a case of process of elimination. A primary indicator, if present, is the ron dha. With this keris, the rondha is not distinctive enough for me to place it anywhere except "Jawa". The pawakan, the other features, such as kembang kacang don't really point me in any direction. That pretty much leaves me with material, and I'd need to feel this to come to some sort of defensible opinion. If the blade is inclined to lightness, I still feel that its sort of Gresiky --- if it was me who gave it that previously --- but the material really doesn't look like Gresik.

I don't know, maybe just a general sort of "East Jawa" might be OK. I don't like Central Jawa or Jogja. North Coast? I can't see that. Some unknown desa somewhere in Jawa? Maybe, but the level of craftsmanship looks a bit too nice for that.

It is simply not always possible to hang a reasonably definite opinion on the geographic location of origin, or on the period, with a lot of keris related things. Where we have very high level quality, or very definite style, yeah, we can take a crack at it, but with something that is more or less generic it is only guesswork --- or salesmanship.

9th June 2020, 11:48 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,218	Thanks Alan. Of course, now that i have been living in rural Nova Scotia for a couple of years the farming in me may be beginning to surface. LOL! I do understand your reasoning here and obviously we can see that even people consider themselves "authorities" will disagree on this stuff. I am familiar with the drill on doing the fit. You may not remember, but i got this sheath through you and you walked me through the process back then. I did follow this technique as best i could, but was perhaps too impatient to achieve perfection at the time. As i stated though, i am fine with the fit as is, even if it is not perfect. What i was hoping you might have an idea about is my question on the origin of this blade. We did discuss this before a long time ago with no firm conclusions, but these are better photos at a later date and perhaps you might have some ideas. Last edited by David; 10th June 2020 at 02:28 AM.

10th June 2020, 03:19 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	I had forgotten that David, but when I looked at the dress it did look like the sort of thing that could have come from me. Re blade origin, what I look for are indicators, and then it becomes a case of process of elimination. A primary indicator, if present, is the ron dha. With this keris, the rondha is not distinctive enough for me to place it anywhere except "Jawa". The pawakan, the other features, such as kembang kacang don't really point me in any direction. That pretty much leaves me with material, and I'd need to feel this to come to some sort of defensible opinion. If the blade is inclined to lightness, I still feel that its sort of Gresiky --- if it was me who gave it that previously --- but the material really doesn't look like Gresik. I don't know, maybe just a general sort of "East Jawa" might be OK. I don't like Central Jawa or Jogja. North Coast? I can't see that. Some unknown desa somewhere in Jawa? Maybe, but the level of craftsmanship looks a bit too nice for that. It is simply not always possible to hang a reasonably definite opinion on the geographic location of origin, or on the period, with a lot of keris related things. Where we have very high level quality, or very definite style, yeah, we can take a crack at it, but with something that is more or less generic it is only guesswork --- or salesmanship.