I have so far stayed out of this discussion, principally because I cannot see much point to it. However, right now it seems to be going in circles, so I will say a word or two.
When I see a picture of a blade, especially an internet picture, what I see is only form.
I know that I cannot rely on the colour I see; I have no idea as to its weight, its texture, its topographic relief. I can sometimes get some sort of an idea of the quality and style of workmanship, but not often.
From what I can see on the computer screen, all I can really trust is the form of the blade.
The blade that is being discussed appears to be a fairly large blade with a twist pamor and some unusual features .
The pesi is distorted and distressed.
Overall condition appears to be good with some minor distress.
We know that keris culture in Lombok is not so deeply entrenched in formal standards as it is in Jawa and Bali.
We know that the people of Lombok often have a preference for blades which display unusual features.
We know that this twist pamor which on Lombok is called "tambangan badung" is highly favoured by the people of Lombok.
On the face of it, this keris could well be an original Lombok blade.
However.
The point at which the pesi enters the gonjo appears to display the characteristic decline of current era keris with a Madura heritage.
The pesi is extremely distressed, far too much so for normal aging.
We know that the Madura craftsmen use published photos as source material for new creations.
We know that it is easier to sell a keris that is a little bit out of the ordinary in form, irrespective of quality of execution.
In Djelengga we can find pictures of Lombok keris showing similar features to the features of the keris under discussion.
We have been told how and where the keris was sourced, but this must be disregarded for the same reasons that we must disregard all undocumented stories when we undertake an objective assessment.
To sum up:- this is a keris with some unusual features which might be a recent creation, and equally might be an original Lombok keris, but upon the evidence presented which is only a series of internet pictures, I for one am not able to form an opinion either way.
May I suggest that we simply acknowledge that this is a rather unique keris , and even though the workmanship is fairly shoddy, and condition does leave something to be desired, it is worthy of collection if for no other reason than its previously mentioned unique features.
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