6 kerises I just bought from an inherited collection

A. G. Maisey · 27th August 2021, 03:08 AM

David, I can possibly respond to this question a little more fully than you might be able to.

When a keris is made and prepared for kinatah work it is then up to the retail seller to put gold onto it, or to leave it up to the retail buyer to put gold onto it.

The craftsman who applies kinatah is totally separate from the craftsman who makes the blade.

Kinatah work comes in various qualities and at differing prices, and no matter if you choose to have the lowest quality work from the cheapest, most barely competent craftsman, it will always be extremely expensive.

It is difficult to find any craftsman at all now who can execute competent kinatah work.

Then there are the people who prefer to be able to see the excellence or otherwise of the metal carving.

JustYS · 27th August 2021, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

David, I can possibly respond to this question a little more fully than you might be able to.

When a keris is made and prepared for kinatah work it is then up to the retail seller to put gold onto it, or to leave it up to the retail buyer to put gold onto it.

The craftsman who applies kinatah is totally separate from the craftsman who makes the blade.

Kinatah work comes in various qualities and at differing prices, and no matter if you choose to have the lowest quality work from the cheapest, most barely competent craftsman, it will always be extremely expensive.

It is difficult to find any craftsman at all now who can execute competent kinatah work.

Then there are the people who prefer to be able to see the excellence or otherwise of the metal carving.

Thank you for your explanation Alan.

I have another question in regards to craftsmen who applies kinatah.

Are they specialize only in applying kinatah or they do other works like the craftsmen who do sunggingan normally also do wayang?

Thank you.

A. G. Maisey · 27th August 2021, 03:53 AM

I think it varies.

There used to be one very old gentleman in Solo who only did kinatah, not just on keris of course, but on other items as well. His work was the best of the best.

I really do not have any idea at all who might do it now, nor what method they might use. I suspect that they would perhaps provide some services to the jewellery trade

Ganapati

That additional keris you posted a pic of is recent Sumenep too, all recent, recent dress, recent blade. I probably supplied this one too. I think I know the collection these keris came from. The gentleman who had it passed away some years ago. It was a pretty big collection, I did not supply most of the Philippine items, in fact I might not have supplied any, but I most probably did supply all, or at the very least, most of the keris.

27th August 2021, 03:08 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	David, I can possibly respond to this question a little more fully than you might be able to. When a keris is made and prepared for kinatah work it is then up to the retail seller to put gold onto it, or to leave it up to the retail buyer to put gold onto it. The craftsman who applies kinatah is totally separate from the craftsman who makes the blade. Kinatah work comes in various qualities and at differing prices, and no matter if you choose to have the lowest quality work from the cheapest, most barely competent craftsman, it will always be extremely expensive. It is difficult to find any craftsman at all now who can execute competent kinatah work. Then there are the people who prefer to be able to see the excellence or otherwise of the metal carving.

27th August 2021, 03:53 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,989	I think it varies. There used to be one very old gentleman in Solo who only did kinatah, not just on keris of course, but on other items as well. His work was the best of the best. I really do not have any idea at all who might do it now, nor what method they might use. I suspect that they would perhaps provide some services to the jewellery trade Ganapati That additional keris you posted a pic of is recent Sumenep too, all recent, recent dress, recent blade. I probably supplied this one too. I think I know the collection these keris came from. The gentleman who had it passed away some years ago. It was a pretty big collection, I did not supply most of the Philippine items, in fact I might not have supplied any, but I most probably did supply all, or at the very least, most of the keris.