Bali Keris found it's way to me

[Pendita65]

Hi,

last week i acquired this Keris with 9 luk, and would like to know more about this one as it has features that i didn't see before.
Like the part above the tjedar (lajar bébék kembar) can it be that the
kembang kacang is forged to pogog model? I could not find it in any of my books about Keris.

Further the blade is very dark and with the right light i can see pamor, but i don't know if a cleaning and washing will reveal it on the photo it appears a bit of light grey.

I would like to know a date for this Keris, is it 19th century or later. I hope Mr. Maisey is able to shed some light on this Keris.

[A. G. Maisey]

I cannot recall having seen anything quite the same as this keris.

The blade seems to have pamor.

The kembang kacang does seem intended to be pogok.

The trifolate jenggot is rather crudely fashioned.

The uwer is probably second half 20th century, test with hot needle might indicate that the "stones" are plastic.

The pendok tends to an East Jawa form.

I cannot give it a precise geographic origin with confidence, but my best guess would be either side of the Bali strait, Banyuwangi /Gilimanuk.

I suspect it might look pretty nice if given a polish & stain.

I do not know the word "tjedar"(pre 1972 spelling) and "lajar bébék kembar" is a term that I have never heard applied to keris (old spelling again). Can you assist?.

I think "cedar" might be Balinese, maybe a word for an old mangy dog, but that doesn't seem to fit with any keris term I know.

[Pendita65]

Good morning from Amsterdam Mr. Maisey,

thank you for your reply, i will enclose a picture out of the book:

'De Inlandsche Kunstnijverheid in Nederlandsch Indie"

written by J.E. Jasper and Mas Pirngadie part V from 1930 de bewerking van niet edele metalen (the processing of non - precious metals)
I have to check the wewer, and yes i could see it was not a real old one but they are often changed.

And may i ask you how you would clean this blade? Is it the same as when cleaning it from rust with household vinegar? Or the traditional way with cocoswater and lemon.

I will enclose a picture from Jasper and Pirngadie.

regards, Martin

[A. G. Maisey]

Thank you Pendita.

That explains a lot, old Balinese terminology, & perhaps not quite as we know it now.

I've posted a pic that I've copied from "World of the Balinese Keris", this shows how the terms for keris characteristics in Bali had some variation from Javanese terms.

At the present time I don't know anybody who regularly uses these terms. I do know a few pandes & tukang wrongko in Bali, & in conversation they use Javanese terms, the same as I use. Maybe this is because we speak in Bahasa Indonesia, not Balinese. Between themselves they could well use these old Bali terms. I'll see if I can find that out.

As for blade restoration, from the pic it doesn't look like it needs cleaning, if it were mine, I'd polish it with wet & dry paper and up to 1200 grit, then I'd stain it.

[Pendita65]

Thank you so much Mr. Maisey, and i will think about it, There are still some Keris that i need to stain. Bought warangan, but still need to find a good recipe and make the solution.

Hope this summer i will do some experiments with it.

Regards, Martin

[A. G. Maisey]

Its maybe not all that easy Martin, and there are hurdles to jump over.

Check your PM's.

[milandro]

I know of several people trying to stain themselves without experience and reaching poor results .

In the NL we have a couple of specialists working for clients

[Pendita65]

Hi Milandro,

thanks for your message and yes i know Tony Stoltenkamp he is very good in staining Keris. And there are some others too. And yes it might not be easy but it is worth the experiment. As a trained restorer and as a teacher in restoration of wooden objects and furniture, i am used to work with different kind of recipe's in colloring wood and brass fittings. It is all about the right circumstances to work in i guess.

And i have several Keris that i can experiment on patience and endurance is important i think in restoring objects.

Regards, Martin

[milandro]

very well, the process can be reversed , so, even if it goes " wrong" ( as in too dark for example) you can re do this

there are probably many ways to do this , including polish with wet and dry sandpaper as suggested , prior to staining which is something that people who use Warangal in the NL don't do (to my knowledge) while it would probably be more consistent with the original way this was made on Bali or Lombok

[A. G. Maisey]

If we wish to think about "original", Javanese blades were polished in previous times also.

In Bali wet sand and powdered limestone were used as polishing agents, probably the same agents were used in Jawa.

[milandro]

I merely pointed out, for the benefit of someone who lives in the NL and may use (or not) the services of people washing with Warangan over here, that in the NL said people don't (to my knowledge) polish blades in any way.

I do own polished blades which weren't made on Bali, so, I am familiar with the concept

[A. G. Maisey]

understood