[kai]

G'day Treeslicer,

Welcome to the forum!

This is about a Keris Naga Sasra which I recently acquired, because I was attracted to the detailed and lively nature of how the motifs were chiseled. The closest parallel to it stylistically I've yet found (for the naga head and scales) is KBA 12 (the last keris in the Bali section) at the Malay World Edged Weapons site. I'm especially intrigued by things like the care taken in lining up the chisel marks between the top and sides of the ganja and how the cutting/chasing of the simulated layering was carefully done while the final filing before it was pickled and gilded shows no care taken whatsoever.

I have to admit that I have a bit of a hard time to compare it to KBA 12 (or any other keris Bali ) even if restricting comparison to details of the naga...

One particularly odd feature is the obvious wear where one would place one's thumb if using the keris, which suggests to me that someone used it for something, such as silat keris practice, or public performance.

I'd guess this is a pretty unlikely scenario. It doesn't strike me as necessarily legitimate wear, too.

A dukun may be among the few to dare touching such a piece in an Indo social setting - however, probably a bit flashy for that kind of purpose.

I'm interested in whether anyone is aware of an industry (as anthropologists would put it) producing kerises with this pattern of chiselled embellishments, and using the peculiar hammered pattern along the edges to simulate layering and pamor.

From what I know this is most likely Madurese work. Maybe Alan can provide details on this folk "art" production?

I've included one photo comparing it with a more typical tourist-quality Naga Sasra to underline the differences.

This seems to still reside in the moderators' queue. A pic of the whole blade(s) would be good.

There is a huge variance of styles and qualities in current production though.

I'm already well aware that it has the collectibility of a run-over cane toad

You made my day!

Regards,
Kai