I must concur with my fellows here. For me these are always great to see even if it is difficult to come up with any solid information about them.
This is obviously an old form that i would image probably predates the Mojopahit era that they were once named for. It does seem that they continued to create these little talismanic blades over many centuries without much change so it is indeed difficult to place them into any particular time period with much accuracy. Certainly i believe the in post #32 with the separate gonjo and greneng is a fairly recent example and may or may not have been created solely as an "art" piece. However, if i am not mistaken, even keris sajen that are more recent (created within the last 200 years) may well have been made for genuine talismanic purposes so i don't necessarily discount these newer examples as reproductions or copies, just a continuance of an old tradition. Certainly 18th and 19th century examples of keris sajen were not being made for collector consumption.
On dating these beyond aspects of wear and condition it seems likely that the simpler examples are more likely older. I think the earliest examples tend to be pamor-less, small and very basic. Later examples began to add pamor and sometimes more extensive ricikan. This is an awesome collection of the variance of the form over a number of centuries. Thanks so much for continuing to show them.
