[A. G. Maisey]

Yes Jean, it is a good deal. Very good, and we all know that auction prices, either online, or real world are not truly indicative of a fair market price. That, I guess, is one of the big attractions of any auction:- if you're lucky you can well get a bargain --- or get a dud.

However, putting luck, or lack of it, to one side, this little keris that you bought, although well below a reasonable price, does not in any way bear comparison with the keris that started this discussion. As Willem has pointed out, there is a supply and demand factor involved, and older keris with blades of excellent garap, in good condition, and of good material are always in very short supply. Added to the desirability of the first keris shown is the hilt. As David mentioned, this hilt alone has a very high value.

Willem, you raised the question of whether a Javanese keris of age, condition and quality similar to the keris under discussion could be expected to realise a price similar to price that keris.

In my experience such a Javanese keris would exceed the price of the keris under discussion.

Why?

Once again, supply and demand. Javanese keris of age, condition and quality such as this are simply never seen on the open market. Yes, there are a great many Javanese keris available in the marketplace, but old Javanese keris in excellent condition and of excellent quality?

One of the truly great problems with the keris is that very few people have the experience or knowledge to recognise keris quality. The recognition of artistic content is possibly a little bit easier, and rarity is easiest of all, because all we need to do is to keep tabs on availability from our regular sources. But quality? How does one judge quality in a keris?

This reminds me of a thread of many years ago with a title something like "Good Keris".

In essence, a "good keris" can be either subjectively judged, or objectively judged.

For the vast bulk of people it is a subjective judgement:- I like it, I need to live with it, I can afford it:- it’s a good keris.

For a very few people it is an objective judgement:- the material is dense and compact, the form is pleasing, follows correct dhapur, and in profile creates the feeling of a man in a state of peace, the garap is deep, well balanced and well defined, the pamor motif, if there is one, has been perfectly created, and the exposure of the core is adequate and even around the entire edge of the blade, in stain the blade is a strong lively colour, gonjo proportion and form indicates strength. These are the absolute basics of the objective judgement of whether a keris is one of quality or not. However, even in application of these indicators of quality, a great deal of experience and more than a little training is required to apply them correctly. I repeat:- these indicators are basic; very basic.

When I apply these indicators to what I can see in the photograph of the keris under discussion here, even though it is only a photo and as such immensely inadequate, I am compelled to form the opinion that I am looking at a very good keris indeed.

Clarification:- what I have written above is directed only at the keris; I am only speaking of the blade:- the blade is the keris, the dress items can and do change and are not appraised in the same way as is the keris itself.