Mixed influences
 

This one I found so confusing so I picked it up at a local auction here to examine it further.
I see many different influences and would appreciate other forumites inputs?

Michael

Hello VVV,
Sorry I'm next to nothing about this beauty. But a Javanese mendak?

Hi Michael,

Judging from the fit of the parts to each other, there is a strong possibility that the parts are foreign to each other...

Confusing keris :confused:

There are a lot of confusing keris around.
In the Netherlands I can buy one every week if needed, because over the decades everything has been pulled apart and put together again. :shrug:

Finding keris' that are not confusing and only have similar influences is more of a challenge these days :p :D :D :D

But still, nice hilt, nice pendok, stange blade.
Wonder what the real experts can tell about this one.

Bumping this as I hope to get some more comments.
Additional info is that the blade is perfect in the sheath and the mendak seems just slightly too large for the hilt.
Do you see anything Cirebonese in this keris?

Michael

The dapur reminds me of the Karno type form which is Javanese in nature .
Not that I'm suggesting Jawa .... :shrug:

The blade could be from Minangkabau or Riau

Thanks,

Anybody who has a reference picture of anything resembling this blade?

Michael

After seeing Ganjawulung's post in my Cirebon thread, I would be asking the same questions... :) But wow, this would be quite an amazing revelation that the Jawa Demam form we see in Sumatra could have come from Cirebon, and with so little evolution in between!

But if this keris is Cirebon (thus Javanese), then the fit may not be that perfect, because I've always thought that Javanese kerises shd sit flushed in the sheath. Only Malay and some Bugis/Bugis-influenced kerises sit with the ganja sticking out.

Kai Wee,

The fit is perfect but because of the dry climate up here the blades often get stuck when I press them all the way down
This means that I sometimes even have to remove the hilts to pull them out.
So that's why I let them stick out a bit.

Michael

Oh I see! Which brings me to another point - remember to oil the sheath and hilts once in a while! :) Some kerises' hilts and sheaths crack while they were in Europe or other dryer climates...

Isn't it more a matter of central heating / isolated houses :shrug:

Maybe a combo?
Where I live, unlike Holland, it's both quite dry and the houses are well isolated.

Michael