Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

A. G. Maisey · 8th June 2014, 07:37 AM

I feel that the results achieved in restoration of this keris are better than acceptable, and probably about as good as could be expected, given the condition of the blade prior to the clean & stain, and the type of material used in its construction.

You have done a very good job Mr. Workman.

It is a Bali style blade, but there is no way of knowing if it was made in Bali, or in Lombok. Bali had a colony on Lombok that had close ties with Klungkung. Some later Balinese - Lombok keris had a tendency to be a little bit extreme in style, and to vary from the recognised Balinese norm, whilst still retaining the Balinese style, but this is a simple keris, and it could have been produced in either Bali or Lombok.

It should be noted that all Lombok keris are not necessarily of the Balinese form. Lombok was settled and developed by people from various societies, and each of these societal groups had their own form of keris dress.

This hilt form is known as "Loncengan" in both Bali and Lombok.

The Loncengan hilt and the "Cenangan" hilt are very similar, and the Loncengan hilts that are not bound with hair or twine are called Cenangan by some people, however, if a hilt has this form, and it is bound with hair or twine, it appears to be correct to refer to it as Loncengan in both Bali and in Lombok. The differences between the two types, Loncengan and Cenangan, are often slight and not all that easy to see.This similarity in form is also found with the Gerantim and the Cenangan hilts:- both are very similar in form, but as has already been mentioned, the Gerantim used precious metals and was the prerogative of the aristocracy.

In previous times the Loncengan hilt style was normally paired with a Kajongan wrongko, and was considered to be a style of dress suitable for a young man.

My terminology is from personal informants, but their information agrees with both Djelenga and Neka/Yuwono.

In Bali and in the Balinese societies that took root in Lombok, the center of power was not a Kraton, but a Pura, the dwelling place of the ruler. "Kraton", including all variations in spelling, is a Javanese term, not Balinese, the term for the dwelling place of a Balinese ruler is Puri. "Puri" is also used to refer to a temple.

In the case of Javanese social structure, the Kraton absorbed the empus who worked for the Kraton, into Kraton society and accorded them rank within the Kraton hierarchy. In the case of Balinese social structure, the Pandes remained separate from, and outside of, the inner society of the ruler's Puri. When a ruler required a particular pande to work for him, the pande would be called to the Puri and given instructions for the required job.

The members of the Pande Clan in Bali are to a degree a separate group living within the greater society, but observing their own religious traditions, and with their own priests.

8th June 2014, 07:37 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,704	I feel that the results achieved in restoration of this keris are better than acceptable, and probably about as good as could be expected, given the condition of the blade prior to the clean & stain, and the type of material used in its construction. You have done a very good job Mr. Workman. It is a Bali style blade, but there is no way of knowing if it was made in Bali, or in Lombok. Bali had a colony on Lombok that had close ties with Klungkung. Some later Balinese - Lombok keris had a tendency to be a little bit extreme in style, and to vary from the recognised Balinese norm, whilst still retaining the Balinese style, but this is a simple keris, and it could have been produced in either Bali or Lombok. It should be noted that all Lombok keris are not necessarily of the Balinese form. Lombok was settled and developed by people from various societies, and each of these societal groups had their own form of keris dress. This hilt form is known as "Loncengan" in both Bali and Lombok. The Loncengan hilt and the "Cenangan" hilt are very similar, and the Loncengan hilts that are not bound with hair or twine are called Cenangan by some people, however, if a hilt has this form, and it is bound with hair or twine, it appears to be correct to refer to it as Loncengan in both Bali and in Lombok. The differences between the two types, Loncengan and Cenangan, are often slight and not all that easy to see.This similarity in form is also found with the Gerantim and the Cenangan hilts:- both are very similar in form, but as has already been mentioned, the Gerantim used precious metals and was the prerogative of the aristocracy. In previous times the Loncengan hilt style was normally paired with a Kajongan wrongko, and was considered to be a style of dress suitable for a young man. My terminology is from personal informants, but their information agrees with both Djelenga and Neka/Yuwono. In Bali and in the Balinese societies that took root in Lombok, the center of power was not a Kraton, but a Pura, the dwelling place of the ruler. "Kraton", including all variations in spelling, is a Javanese term, not Balinese, the term for the dwelling place of a Balinese ruler is Puri. "Puri" is also used to refer to a temple. In the case of Javanese social structure, the Kraton absorbed the empus who worked for the Kraton, into Kraton society and accorded them rank within the Kraton hierarchy. In the case of Balinese social structure, the Pandes remained separate from, and outside of, the inner society of the ruler's Puri. When a ruler required a particular pande to work for him, the pande would be called to the Puri and given instructions for the required job. The members of the Pande Clan in Bali are to a degree a separate group living within the greater society, but observing their own religious traditions, and with their own priests.