ThePepperSkull,
I think you started a great topic. With a great answer from Alan.
The trading of Javanese blades troughout the whole Archipello, that made that we find Javanese blades in different dresses according to the area where the blade was bought and blades from other areas dressed in the style of the court where the owner served.
I remember also reading in a book and unfortunately i cann't recall what book it was, probably Dutch, that warriors who damaged the dress of the keris replaced the damaged part at the place where they found a mrangi, a woodcarver. That would explain for instance, the marriage of a maduran blade with a maduran ukiran in a javanese scabbard and other marriages that look ridicoulous.
Comes immediately up in my mind the thought that a warrior when he came home immediately would change the replaced dresspart for the one from the area he originated. The only reason not to do so could be the lack of money to buy a new dresspart for the keris.
But i completely agree with Alan that many of the rehilted keris we see, mainly the javanese with a balinese, maduran or even a sumatran ukiran, preferable ivory, is the result of taste of the western collectors.
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