Gold Leaf Sheath and hilt

Battara · 24th February 2022, 02:52 AM

Certainly easy to apply but hard to protect from wear.

Rick · 25th February 2022, 01:10 AM

I'd like to see more pictures. If it's really wear and age or intentional, it seems quite randomly placed.

Could there be any significance in the colors and which one covers the other?

milandro · 25th February 2022, 08:35 AM

While I think that the gilding was never covering the entire sarong, I also believe that there are clear wear signs ( due for example being worn in a belt or kept in a Ploncon ), as for which color in on top of which it is clear that the gilding is above the orange, brick-color , undercoat. The Hilt shows also signs of some Black sign of some sort on both face but It is undecipherable.

As for the orange color under the guilding, my wife ( which received a formal art training and studied art history although not specialized in the arts from the east) said that it is not infrequent to guild over an undercoat red or orange because the undercoat tends to influence the hue of the gold leaf, so to show it as “ warmer”

I’ve acquired this keris from a couple whom used to reside in Indonesia since the ’70 their home was chockablock with Items from the archipelago with many of the pieces being certainly antiques, they were not dealer or any such thing, but retired people moving to a smaller house and selling part ( I saw the boxes where the gentleman showed me items not for sale which he was taking with him).

I am showing this to you, certainly not “ off”, for the sole purpose of learning and discussing. Whichever the findings or opinions I will take on board but I am very happy with this piece the way it is .

A. G. Maisey · 25th February 2022, 11:28 AM

Rick, you have asked about the yellow gold & red symbolism.

In respect of this keris , I think we are probably just looking at artistic expression, but when we begin to scratch around into Balinese & Javanese symbolism we can usually come up with something.

Very often this "something" is completely misunderstood by the outsider who is trying to interpret it, so I'm not offering the little explanation below as an answer to your question, just something that me seems pretty obvious.

Some time ago somebody asked me why the back of Balinese wrongkos/gandars were often painted yellow, I provided this opinion below.

But although yellow is a favourite colour for the back of wrongkos, other colours occur too, and red is perhaps the second most popular colour for painting the back of Bali wrongkos/gandars.

Red is the colour of Brahma.

What follows is not an answer Rick, but it is something that might be thought upon.

"*****, you asked why the back of keris scabbards are painted yellow.

I don't know, but i've given some thought to the question, and here are some connections that can be made:-

the pusaka keris joins the present custodian with his ancestors and those of the current generation

Hari Kuningan is the end of Galungan, and is the day when the ancestors return to the other world after visiting earth during Galungan.

Kuning = yellow, Hari Kuningan = Yellow Day

Offerings to the ancestors on Hari Kuningan include yellow rice and tend towards the yellow spectrum

Balinese attach symbolism to colours, and yellow is the colour of Mahadewa, and of the west

In the Mahabharata, Siwa is better known as Mahadewa, that is, the highest of the Gods, Siwa is the Destroyer, who frees man from this world and lets the spirit return through Brahma's creation to another cycle of life. Mahadewa's weapon is the nagapasa and his vehicle is the dragon (naga).

The keris is an icon of Siwa.

So :-

keris>Siwa> Mahadewa> yellow>naga> keris>ancestors>keris

looking at these iconic relationships it seems to me to obvious why the backs of keris scabbards are painted yellow."

25th February 2022, 01:10 AM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	I'd like to see more pictures. If it's really wear and age or intentional, it seems quite randomly placed. Could there be any significance in the colors and which one covers the other? Last edited by Rick; 25th February 2022 at 01:28 AM.

25th February 2022, 08:35 AM	#3
milandro Member Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Netherlands Posts: 487	While I think that the gilding was never covering the entire sarong, I also believe that there are clear wear signs ( due for example being worn in a belt or kept in a Ploncon ), as for which color in on top of which it is clear that the gilding is above the orange, brick-color , undercoat. The Hilt shows also signs of some Black sign of some sort on both face but It is undecipherable. As for the orange color under the guilding, my wife ( which received a formal art training and studied art history although not specialized in the arts from the east) said that it is not infrequent to guild over an undercoat red or orange because the undercoat tends to influence the hue of the gold leaf, so to show it as “ warmer” I’ve acquired this keris from a couple whom used to reside in Indonesia since the ’70 their home was chockablock with Items from the archipelago with many of the pieces being certainly antiques, they were not dealer or any such thing, but retired people moving to a smaller house and selling part ( I saw the boxes where the gentleman showed me items not for sale which he was taking with him). I am showing this to you, certainly not “ off”, for the sole purpose of learning and discussing. Whichever the findings or opinions I will take on board but I am very happy with this piece the way it is . Attached Images

24th February 2022, 02:52 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,272	Certainly easy to apply but hard to protect from wear.

25th February 2022, 11:28 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Rick, you have asked about the yellow gold & red symbolism. In respect of this keris , I think we are probably just looking at artistic expression, but when we begin to scratch around into Balinese & Javanese symbolism we can usually come up with something. Very often this "something" is completely misunderstood by the outsider who is trying to interpret it, so I'm not offering the little explanation below as an answer to your question, just something that me seems pretty obvious. Some time ago somebody asked me why the back of Balinese wrongkos/gandars were often painted yellow, I provided this opinion below. But although yellow is a favourite colour for the back of wrongkos, other colours occur too, and red is perhaps the second most popular colour for painting the back of Bali wrongkos/gandars. Red is the colour of Brahma. What follows is not an answer Rick, but it is something that might be thought upon. "*****, you asked why the back of keris scabbards are painted yellow. I don't know, but i've given some thought to the question, and here are some connections that can be made:- the pusaka keris joins the present custodian with his ancestors and those of the current generation Hari Kuningan is the end of Galungan, and is the day when the ancestors return to the other world after visiting earth during Galungan. Kuning = yellow, Hari Kuningan = Yellow Day Offerings to the ancestors on Hari Kuningan include yellow rice and tend towards the yellow spectrum Balinese attach symbolism to colours, and yellow is the colour of Mahadewa, and of the west In the Mahabharata, Siwa is better known as Mahadewa, that is, the highest of the Gods, Siwa is the Destroyer, who frees man from this world and lets the spirit return through Brahma's creation to another cycle of life. Mahadewa's weapon is the nagapasa and his vehicle is the dragon (naga). The keris is an icon of Siwa. So :- keris>Siwa> Mahadewa> yellow>naga> keris>ancestors>keris looking at these iconic relationships it seems to me to obvious why the backs of keris scabbards are painted yellow."