Keris For Comments
 

Thoughts, opinions..

Hello Rick,

What are your thoughts on this piece?

Looks like modern keris art to me.

Regards,
Kai

Well Kai, it obviously is new work.
It is also a recorded pakem, Kebo Dhendheng although I don't have a copy of the page I was sent from the Seller showing it.
I guess you'll just have to trust me on this; I'm not very good at keeping records.

Any other thoughts from you on the subject?

The blade is not before 1900, the dhapur is as Rick has stated, Kebo Dhendheng ( or Mahesa Dendeng, both names have the same meaning, just different speech levels).

This dhapur classification is in terms of the Surakarta Karaton Pakem, some people may wish to debate this, as in EK , Harsrinuksmo gives Kebo Dendeng as a five luk keris.

He got a little bit mixed up, because in the title entry in EK he spells the name as "Kebo Dengdeng", the five luk keris with a similar name is "Kebo Dengen", which EK also lists, & correctly.

The wrongko is a fluted gayaman style, probably East Jawa.

The hilt is an East Jawa janggelan form, this appears to be kerbau horn.

The bunton pendok is embossed with a motif that I cannot readily name, it might possibly be able to be interpreted as a stylized ujung gunung motif, but to name it correctly --- if that is possible --- it would be necessary to research batik motif pattern books, and that can turn into a very lengthy exercise.

I once owned this keris, but it left my hands a very long time ago, I have no record of the keris or its sale, my above description is based on what I can see in the photograph, I will not comment on quality for the simple reason that this keris came from me.

Hello Alan, where does this fluted wrongko style originate from?
I notice you mentioned East Jawa, but I'm not sure if you meant place of manufacture or where the place where style came from/is associated with.

I have been told East Jawa through to along the North Coast.

That is TOLD, that does not mean that I KNOW, but the gentleman who told me was a tukang wrongko from a long line of mranggis.

Thank you, Alan. Understood.