Traditional kinatah on a Javanese or a Balinese blade has specified meaning and more or less set design.
It is not just a matter of artistic ornamentation.
It must be gold, because of the societal and esoteric qualities of gold.
It cannot be silver, it cannot be brass, it cannot be gold plated brass.
It must be gold.
It is never cheap, nor even reasonably priced.
Kinatah-like ornamentation is not bound by the rules which apply to traditional kinatah. Some of this work can be quite old, quite beautiful and it can also be gold, but its prime purpose is to ornament the blade. Because it is not subject to the same rules as traditional kinatah it can come in brass, gold plated brass, silver, or whatever else might give an artistic effect.
In essence this type of blade ornamentation can be considered to be primarily artistic.
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