[Johan van Zyl]

Gustav, Kai & Alan have come in : I thank you also. All your judgements are of great importance to me, as I have many aspects of the keris to learn. Which saddens me that Alan has opted to withhold comment, but of course I need to respect that also, and I do.

Kai, the blade length is 12.3 inches, that's 31.2 cm.

I now have quite a few facts on the table pertaining to this keris, thanks to you all, and this prompts questions in my mind:

1 How is it that this particular blade can have the necessary visible features that enable experienced students of the keris to be able to eliminate Sulawesi as point of origin? I admire that expertise, and would like to be further enlightened on this point, if you please.

2 According to the antique dealer from whom I got this keris, the mendak is gold. He has done a test on it's mark with concentrated nitric acid and he assured me of this fact. He is a cousin, and we are on very good, amicable terms. Does this fact (if true) strike you as perhaps improbable? IOW, does the gold fit in with the class of this keris?

3 Having read what was said about the pamor, I conclude I am correct when I make it to be mlumah, and that the three patterns mentioned all fall under mlumah?

4 Of course the pattern on the ganja is miring (or so I think). If so, would that be adeg?

5 Coming to the 7 luk blade, is there any cultural distinction in terms of meaning between luk 3, 5 and 7? I know that wave counts above 7 are seen as special. Does 3, 5 and 7 each have different significance?

I appreciate your patience with my many questions!
Regards
Johan