Golden keris

Marcokeris · 15th April 2007, 10:34 AM

The two photos were made without no study, by the owner in his room using a little digital camera with flash at 1 meter (more and less) from the blade. I also did a photo using my cellular but the quality was worse.
Unfortunately flash' reflection on the gold surface doesn't show the amazing quality of work.
About stones, selut, mendak, handle and sarong I asked nothing to the seller because I had the feeling they had no influence towards blade's price
(To day I'll scanner the photo )

Battara · 15th April 2007, 07:08 PM

I know that in the Philippines and in many of the Indonesian islands, swaasa is 1/3 gold and 2/3 copper with a little silver mixed in. This makes the material have an orange look to it and is roughly 9k gold. Different mixtures of silver and copper give different colors and tones.

A. G. Maisey · 16th April 2007, 04:17 AM

G'day Kai Wee, absolutely no way known I could tell the origin of the kinatah work from even the best studio photograph. I would need to handle the keris. However, logically it is probably Madura, or maybe Surabaya (same thing) . The blade itself is not of high enough quality to spend the money involved in other than Madura work.

Marco, it depends how the price was quoted to you. If they just quoted the price of the blade, then naturally the dress had no influence on the price, but if it was a price for the entire keris, it is likely---judging from only what I can see of the selut---that the value of the dress could be equal to, or exceed the value of the blade alone.

Marcokeris · 16th April 2007, 09:26 AM

Here I put the photo of sarong

A. G. Maisey · 17th April 2007, 04:08 AM

This pic demonstrates well what I was talking about.

The wood in that wrongko is superb.

The workmanship is probably as good as the wood. Difficult to judge in only one dimension, but from what I can see, this is top quality work.

The pendok is difficult to read because of reflection, but it appears to a Solo engraved bunton in silver. Even if the quality of work is the lowest quality available, you are still looking at very heavy money.

The selut is probably silver, the stones I cannot comment on, however, if they are intan and mirah, which is likely, because of the quality of the rest of the dress, then you have moved to a new dimension.

The handle could be tayuman, but if it is not, it is more than likely that it is good quality , old.

The dress on this blade is good, and being good, is expensive.

By any measure, this would not be a low priced keris.

Marcokeris · 17th April 2007, 11:47 AM

About price: the keris of this thread costed money seventeen time up of the keris that i put in the bottom. I could buy it about ten years ago because there was, in Indonesia, an unannounced very bad economic crack (about 1 $ = 18.000 rp instead of 1$ = 3.000 rp).

Boedhi Adhitya · 17th April 2007, 05:02 PM

Ohh...No!!!... The pendok... is it suasa (9-12k gold) frame with gold-plated silver or solid gold center, Marco? Any enamel work? I love the pendok much more than the keris. Please don't take it in the wrong way. The keris is O.K and nothing wrong with it. But the pendok...really worth to die for..

rasdan · 17th April 2007, 05:07 PM

I like the second keris better Marco. The kinatah looks thicker and finer. (To my eyes that is) But i think its over stained. Is the mendak and central pendok panel gold? Congrats on a very nice keris!!

16th April 2007, 09:26 AM	#4
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	Here I put the photo of sarong Attached Images

17th April 2007, 11:47 AM	#6
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	About price: the keris of this thread costed money seventeen time up of the keris that i put in the bottom. I could buy it about ten years ago because there was, in Indonesia, an unannounced very bad economic crack (about 1 $ = 18.000 rp instead of 1$ = 3.000 rp). Attached Images

15th April 2007, 10:34 AM	#1
Marcokeris Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 928	The two photos were made without no study, by the owner in his room using a little digital camera with flash at 1 meter (more and less) from the blade. I also did a photo using my cellular but the quality was worse. Unfortunately flash' reflection on the gold surface doesn't show the amazing quality of work. About stones, selut, mendak, handle and sarong I asked nothing to the seller because I had the feeling they had no influence towards blade's price (To day I'll scanner the photo )

15th April 2007, 07:08 PM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,280	I know that in the Philippines and in many of the Indonesian islands, swaasa is 1/3 gold and 2/3 copper with a little silver mixed in. This makes the material have an orange look to it and is roughly 9k gold. Different mixtures of silver and copper give different colors and tones.

16th April 2007, 04:17 AM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	G'day Kai Wee, absolutely no way known I could tell the origin of the kinatah work from even the best studio photograph. I would need to handle the keris. However, logically it is probably Madura, or maybe Surabaya (same thing) . The blade itself is not of high enough quality to spend the money involved in other than Madura work. Marco, it depends how the price was quoted to you. If they just quoted the price of the blade, then naturally the dress had no influence on the price, but if it was a price for the entire keris, it is likely---judging from only what I can see of the selut---that the value of the dress could be equal to, or exceed the value of the blade alone.

17th April 2007, 04:08 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	This pic demonstrates well what I was talking about. The wood in that wrongko is superb. The workmanship is probably as good as the wood. Difficult to judge in only one dimension, but from what I can see, this is top quality work. The pendok is difficult to read because of reflection, but it appears to a Solo engraved bunton in silver. Even if the quality of work is the lowest quality available, you are still looking at very heavy money. The selut is probably silver, the stones I cannot comment on, however, if they are intan and mirah, which is likely, because of the quality of the rest of the dress, then you have moved to a new dimension. The handle could be tayuman, but if it is not, it is more than likely that it is good quality , old. The dress on this blade is good, and being good, is expensive. By any measure, this would not be a low priced keris.

17th April 2007, 05:02 PM	#7
Boedhi Adhitya Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 103	Ohh...No!!!... The pendok... is it suasa (9-12k gold) frame with gold-plated silver or solid gold center, Marco? Any enamel work? I love the pendok much more than the keris. Please don't take it in the wrong way. The keris is O.K and nothing wrong with it. But the pendok...really worth to die for..

17th April 2007, 05:07 PM	#8
rasdan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 369	I like the second keris better Marco. The kinatah looks thicker and finer. (To my eyes that is) But i think its over stained. Is the mendak and central pendok panel gold? Congrats on a very nice keris!!