My new keris

[Sajen]

Hello,
here the pictures from Java from my new acquisition. It's still in Indonesia because it shall get a warangan over there.
Comments are welcome.
Regards,
sajen

[Sajen]

Some more pictures!

[David]

Very nice. I look forward to seeing photos once it is washed and stained. Love the pendok on this sheath. :)

[Marcokeris]

From the pics the work done on the old hit material is , without doubt, absolutely wonderful !!!

[David]

From the pics the work done on the old hit material is , without doubt, absolutely wonderful !!!
I agree. I don't think that this fossilized elephant molar material is particularly easy to carve. Often the carvings with this material are pretty basic. They did some nice detailing on this one. :)

[kai]

Congrats, nice Palembang combo!

This Sumatran gonjo iras blade certainly deserves a decent stain.

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Thank's for the comments!

[Sajen]

Congrats, nice Palembang combo!

This Sumatran gonjo iras blade certainly deserves a decent stain.

Regards,
Kai


Hello Kai,
thank you, but I think that this is a Minangkabau keris, the pendok is typical for and also the hilt. Don't let irritate by the warangka, you can found this form also in Minangkabau area.
Regards,
sajen

[Sajen]

From the pics the work done on the old hit material is , without doubt, absolutely wonderful !!!


Hi Marco and also David,
agree complete with you. I am also surprised when I see first time good pictures from my friend in Indonesia!
Here the link from e-bay where you can't see this work:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=140301046376
Regards,
sajen

[Sajen]

Hello all,
here the first pictures from Indonesia after warangan. They have done a good job.
Regards,
sajen

[Henk]

Detlef,

That looks very good indeed! I only wonder why the pesi wasn't cleaned and stained completely as usually is done.

[kulbuntet]

Hi Detlef,

Same question come up in my head... about the peksi. For the rest nice wash.

regards Michel

[Sajen]

Hello Henk and Michel,
I think that he hold the keris by warangan at the peksi. I have seen this when someone stained a blade. This don't will be a problem, when I received the keris I will clean the peksi in lemon-acid.
Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Hello,
I get now the information why the peksi not cleaned ans stained. The handle have been so hard fixed to the peksi that the warangan process have been done with the handle and the handle wrapped with plasticfilm. Later it become more and more loose so that he can open it but too late fore the staining. He have been afraid to destroy the handle. But like I write before, it don't will be a problem to clean the peksi later.
Here a picture from the keris now.
Detlef

[David]

Wow Sajen, that's really pretty. I don't think it's a big deal that the pesi didn't receive staining, but i would make sure that all the rust is removed.
Enjoy your new baby. :)

[asomotif]

I am not a big fan of fossil mortar, but this one is definately one of the exceptions.

Very nice handle, and of course a great keris all together.

Love the pendok and the matching selut.

Gratuliere !

Willem

[kai]

Hello Sajen,

I'm glad that the blade came out as nice as expected!


I think that this is a Minangkabau keris, the pendok is typical for and also the hilt. Don't let irritate by the warangka, you can found this form also in Minangkabau area.
Since the Minang Kabau were politically and economically well connected with Palembang / eastern Sumatra, pieces from area do pop up on the other side of the Sumatran mountain range.

I agree that we might be looking at mixed influences here:
This hilt does look Minang although most molar hilts seem to come from eastern Sumatra. The pendok type seems to show up all over Sumatra - I'm not sure this can be positively attributed to the MK.

The cross-piece does seem to be Palembang to me though (judging from the carving flow; while there's a lot of variety in shapes I also haven't seen a well-provenanced Minang cross-piece with rudder).

The blade seems more likely East Sumatran to me: bold pamor, shape, tiny greneng, and gonjo iras.

If I had to guess, I'd posit that this keris originated in Palembang and got partially refitted by a Minang owner later on.

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Wow Sajen, that's really pretty. I don't think it's a big deal that the pesi didn't receive staining, but i would make sure that all the rust is removed.
Enjoy your new baby. :)


Thank you David,
you can be sure that I will enjoy my baby! :D
The rust I will remove, that don't will be a big problem.
Regards,
sajen

[Sajen]

I am not a big fan of fossil mortar, but this one is definately one of the exceptions.

Very nice handle, and of course a great keris all together.

Love the pendok and the matching selut.

Gratuliere !

Willem

Thank's Willem,
it's the same to me, the most molar handles not very fine and crude carved.

All the best to you,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Hello Sajen,

I'm glad that the blade came out as nice as expected!



Since the Minang Kabau were politically and economically well connected with Palembang / eastern Sumatra, pieces from area do pop up on the other side of the Sumatran mountain range.

I agree that we might be looking at mixed influences here:
This hilt does look Minang although most molar hilts seem to come from eastern Sumatra. The pendok type seems to show up all over Sumatra - I'm not sure this can be positively attributed to the MK.

The cross-piece does seem to be Palembang to me though (judging from the carving flow; while there's a lot of variety in shapes I also haven't seen a well-provenanced Minang cross-piece with rudder).

The blade seems more likely East Sumatran to me: bold pamor, shape, tiny greneng, and gonjo iras.

If I had to guess, I'd posit that this keris originated in Palembang and got partially refitted by a Minang owner later on.

Regards,
Kai

Hello Kai,

you might be right that that we can see by this keris a mixed influence from two regions of Sumatra. The blade and also the wrangka shows definitely Palembang influence but I think that the pendok shows Minang character. I think that the two "horns" at the end are signs of Minagkabau influence. Also the design on the pendok is seen in Minang erea. For comparison two pictures from a Minangkabau house and the door of the same house.

Regards,
Detlef

[Jussi M.]

And up for a job well done! :)

[Sajen]

And up for a job well done! :)

Thank in the name of the person who have done the staining in Indonesia/Java!
:)

[VANDOO]

THE FOSSIL MOLAR CAN BE BRITTLE AND SOME IS MORE UNSTABLE THAN OTHERS MAKEING IT RISKY TO WORK. AS A RESULT MOST CARVING IS USUALLY VERY SIMPLE.
SOMEONE WENT THE EXTRA MILE ON THIS AS ITS THE BEST CARVING I HAVE SEEN USING THIS MATERIAL.
A VERY NICE KERIS BE CAREFUL WITH IT TO AVOID SHEDING TEARS :D

[Sajen]

THE FOSSIL MOLAR CAN BE BRITTLE AND SOME IS MORE UNSTABLE THAN OTHERS MAKEING IT RISKY TO WORK. AS A RESULT MOST CARVING IS USUALLY VERY SIMPLE.
SOMEONE WENT THE EXTRA MILE ON THIS AS ITS THE BEST CARVING I HAVE SEEN USING THIS MATERIAL.
A VERY NICE KERIS BE CAREFUL WITH IT TO AVOID SHEDING TEARS :D


Hi Barry,

I know how easy this material can get broken and I am very careful with this keris! :)

Regards,

Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

Interesting.

[Battara]

THE FOSSIL MOLAR CAN BE BRITTLE AND SOME IS MORE UNSTABLE THAN OTHERS MAKEING IT RISKY TO WORK. AS A RESULT MOST CARVING IS USUALLY VERY SIMPLE.
SOMEONE WENT THE EXTRA MILE ON THIS AS ITS THE BEST CARVING I HAVE SEEN USING THIS MATERIAL.
A VERY NICE KERIS BE CAREFUL WITH IT TO AVOID SHEDING TEARS :D
Oh I agree with you Barry. I have not carved but have worked with the stuff - crazy brittle and even crumbly. :rolleyes: Yet this is great delicate carving work.

For me this just begs the question - what are the talismanic properties of this material and where can I find literature on it?

[DaveS]

Jose: I read somewhere in one of the kris books that in the "old days" molar
tooth was thought to be an antidote to poisons, especially in the middle
eastern Islamic countries. It also was a trade item coming from Russian
Siberia. Modern knifemakers here in the U.S are also starting to use it on
their custom knife handles after it is stabilized. Don't know how it would hold
up under hunting conditions I wonder if Alan knows more about this material.
Dave.

[Battara]

My understanding is that it also protected the wearer because it was made of "dragon's tooth".

[A. G. Maisey]

No, sorry, I know of no myths nor beliefs of Javanese or Balinese origin that are associated with this material.

The oldest hilt of this material of which I am aware is the one in the Radya Pustaka Museum in Solo.

Scroll about three-quarters down the page:-

http://www.kerisattosanaji.com/radyapustaka.html

[David]

The oldest hilt of this material of which I am aware is the one in the Radya Pustaka Museum in Solo.
Is there an indication approximately how old this hilt in the museum is?

[A. G. Maisey]

No David, there is not.

I first saw it in 1974, and my guess is that it is probably from either the 1960's or first 40 years of 20th century.

I emphasise "guess".

[Gustav]

There is a kris with molar hilt, which is almost a twin to this one: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12943&highlight=keris+molar,
also a very huge exemplar, much to big for the keris (judging from aesthetics of today), which itself is not small. It came to Historical Museum of Bern in 1914 as part of the Moser-Charlottenfels collection.

This means, this hilt (and kris) almost surely was collected before 1876, definitely before 1893.

[VANDOO]

IN CHINESE MEDICINE THESE FOSSIL TEETH FROM VARIOUS ANCESTORS OF THE ELEPHANT AND RHINO WERE AND STILL ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS DRAGONS TEETH.
TAILSMANIC POWERS HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTIED TO SUCH THINGS SINCE TRIBAL TIMES IN ALL COUNTRYS AND THERE IS STILL BELIEF IN SPECIAL POWERS FOR SUCH THINGS IN MANY SOCIETYS TODAY.
I THINK THE MATERIAL IS VERY ATTRACTIVE AND USING A BROKEN TOOTH TO MAKE SUCH A HANDLE IS COOL BUT TO CUT UP A COMPLETE TOOTH TO MAKE A HANDLE. :eek:
I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE WHOLE TOOTH IN ITS NATURAL STATE. :) TO EAT IT GROUND UP IN MEDICINE :rolleyes: IS SORT OF LIKE EATING EXPENSIVE ROCK DUST TO CURE YOUR ILLS.