Keris ligan is also known as "Keris Pedang", it is a form of keris with a warrior association.
The first time I saw a similar treatment of the greneng to this one was in Mario & Vanna Ghiringhelli's Little Red Book --- the original "Invincible Keris". This keris was a cengkrong style and the caption stated that keris with this blade style, ie, cengkrong, was worn by preachers & scholars of religion & theology.
Note:- blade type, not gonjo type
The first time I saw a keris with this extremely exuberant spiral ornamentation to the greneng was in the courtyard of a very well known Balinese m'ranggi and keris dealer, it was a recently made Madura keris, and it was hanging from the exposed framework of a small pavilion. When I asked why it was hanging there, along with a large number of other newly made keris I was told that all these keris were there to permit them to age naturally.
I have not seen this type of gonjo ornamentation in an old keris, only in recently made ones.
|