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Old 16th October 2008, 01:57 AM   #16
A. G. Maisey
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,994
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What we are dabbling in here is the classification of blades:- tangguh.

The first blade shown here does appear to be a typical Balinese blade, the second blade shown appears to be a Javanese blade.

I would not be definite about either unless I handled them.

In the real world, Javanese blades get dressed in Balinese dress, Balinese blades get dressed in Javanese dress, Javanese blades in fact get dressed in all sorts of dress, and this has been the case for many, many years, because Javanese blades have been an item of trade across S.E.Asia, and as far as Sri Lanka, since at least the 15th century. Bugis blades appear in Sumatran dress. Madurese smiths worked all over S.E. Asia, and are reputed to have made blades in the Moro style in Brunei.

Lombok blades are inclined to be a little exaggerated. If it is Lombok origin, but from a Javanese influenced maker, it will exhibit the features of probably Mataram, but will be a bit bigger and a bit more exaggerated than a true Mataram blade. Lombok blades in Lombok style will in most cases be extreme and often display unusual features. Lombok/Bali blades are often very, very difficult to distinguish from Bali blades made in Bali--I would not guarantee that I could do it.

As for Hindu smiths in late Mataram Jawa, well, there may have been a few holdouts in isolated places. Maybe down around Banyuwangi. But then what is "late Mataram"? Some people would count this through to around 1825. Probably second half 17th century might be more reasonable, but then in keris terms you have Amangkurat, and that was Islam predominating in Jawa. Yes, Hindu influences remain in Javanese culture through until today, especially in palace culture, but Islam was the dominant external religious influence in Jawa from around 1525.

To my very limited imagination it is a fairly simple thing:- if a blade can be classified according to major indicators as a Javanese blade, then it is a Javanese blade. If that blade is in Balinese, or Bugis, or Palembang dress, then it is a Balinese keris, or a Bugis keris, or a Palembang keris, with a Javanese blade.
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