Translation please...?

[erikscollectables]

Alan,

You are spot on. I just took the blad from its place on the bookshelve and had a good look at the gonja from the top.
The hole for the peksi is indeed a bit larger and had been filled up (with metal as it looks but defenitely filled up!).

To me the gonjo seems original th the keris.

So a change of peksi form and the addition of text to make it a talisman.
Who would have done this and why with this keris?

Can you add more?

Thanks, Erik

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

If the gonjo were to be removed I believe we would find that the shape of the pesi is not original:- the base of the pesi, where it enters the gonjo, would probably be considerably larger than the body of the gonjo. I think that what we might be looking at here is a keris that has been turned into a definite talisman. The talismanic script was applied to an already old blade, and at the same time the pesi was twisted and a hole for suspension was provided.

[A. G. Maisey]

The filling is either plastic steel, or Araldite mixed with iron filings. The Araldite/iron filing mix has been used in Jawa probably since the stuff became available years ago. It acts as a preservative to stop erosion of the blade base, apart from assisting the fixing of a gonjo.It took me a long time to come to terms with this practice and accept it, but when you adopt the mindset that it is your responsibility to preserve that which has been left by previous generations, for future generations, and you discard the self-centered egotism of the "original" concept, its not too difficult to understand the rationale.
Araldite and similar products are very easy to remove with heat, and whilst they are in place they do provide very good protection.

As to why the addition of script and the gonjo alteration was done, I have no idea.

I could create a lot speculation, but I don't know, so one guess is as good as another.

[erikscollectables]

Alan,

Those options sound like they are quite recent. I am still sure the keris came to the Netherlands before 1950 and whatever was changed was before that date. And for the text I am still quite sure it is from the 19th century and not for "collectors" only...

I'll try to make a picture from the filling.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

The filling is either plastic steel, or Araldite mixed with iron filings. The Araldite/iron filing mix has been used in Jawa probably since the stuff became available years ago. It acts as a preservative to stop erosion of the blade base, apart from assisting the fixing of a gonjo.It took me a long time to come to terms with this practice and accept it, but when you adopt the mindset that it is your responsibility to preserve that which has been left by previous generations, for future generations, and you discard the self-centered egotism of the "original" concept, its not too difficult to understand the rationale.
Araldite and similar products are very easy to remove with heat, and whilst they are in place they do provide very good protection.

As to why the addition of script and the gonjo alteration was done, I have no idea.

I could create a lot speculation, but I don't know, so one guess is as good as another.

[A. G. Maisey]

You could well be right, Erik, but this type of filling was only possible with the introduction of epoxy resins. I do not know of any older method of filling that was used.If you are absolutely certain that it came to Holland pre-1950, then this filling job must have been done in Holland.

Re the text, can you please explain to me why you are so certain that it was added in the 19th century?

Speaking for myself, I can see nothing that would indicate to me when it was added, nor why.

As I have said previously, I could speculate a lot. But speculation is not necessarily actuality.

Erik, perhaps I should add this:- I have seen this type of thing many, many times. I'm not looking at something unfamiliar, to me, this keris is as usual as it would be for you to look at, say, a car number plate. I've seen this lettering added to keris that had been stored in a cupboard in a warehouse since the 1920's; I've also seen it added to keris that had been altered within the last couple of weeks. But I still cannot tell from looking at it when it might have been done, unless I know---positively know---something else about the keris, such as the fact that it is wrapped in 1928 newspaper and that it belonged to the father of a friend of my wife.
The filling is something that is equally usual, but I've never seen anything else but a modern epoxy type adhesive used.

[erikscollectables]

Alan,

The text might be from any date before 1950, that it is earlier than that is just specultation from my side, not based on any facts. Maybe the picture will shed light on this as it is way beyond my knowledge...

Regards, Erik

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

You could well be right, Erik, but this type of filling was only possible with the introduction of epoxy resins. I do not know of any older method of filling that was used.If you are absolutely certain that it came to Holland pre-1950, then this filling job must have been done in Holland.

Re the text, can you please explain to me why you are so certain that it was added in the 19th century?

Speaking for myself, I can see nothing that would indicate to me when it was added, nor why.

As I have said previously, I could speculate a lot. But speculation is not necessarily actuality.

Erik, perhaps I should add this:- I have seen this type of thing many, many times. I'm not looking at something unfamiliar, to me, this keris is as usual as it would be for you to look at, say, a car number plate. I've seen this lettering added to keris that had been stored in a cupboard in a warehouse since the 1920's; I've also seen it added to keris that had been altered within the last couple of weeks. But I still cannot tell from looking at it when it might have been done, unless I know---positively know---something else about the keris, such as the fact that it is wrapped in 1928 newspaper and that it belonged to the father of a friend of my wife.
The filling is something that is equally usual, but I've never seen anything else but a modern epoxy type adhesive used.

[erikscollectables]

Here is a photo of the peksi hole in the ganja.
The best I could do without daylight.