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Old 8th January 2019, 12:56 PM   #9
A. G. Maisey
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 6,700
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Yes Jean, blades with 21 luk do exist in Jawa, as do blades with 25, 27, 29, and other odd numbers above 13. In fact in the Surakarta Pakem some of these anomalies do exist, and this particular 21 luk blade is quite close in detail to Kolo Tinantang, and to Kolo Bendu. I did not say that 21 luk blades do not exist in Jawa, I said that it was an anomaly, that is, something that is not normal or expected.

However, to my eye the workmanship although neat, is very hesitant, it is not the work of somebody who has seen and handled many keris, it looks like something that was an attempt at a copy with variation.

The hilt is certainly Javanese in form, but again, it looks like a copy of something by a competent carver, most certainly not the work of a tukang jejeran. As to the selut, I believe that if it is rotated to align the scallops in its rim with the recesses in the hilt, a fit will be achieved.

I respect your opinion of the origin of this keris, but to my eye, there is no smell of Jawa to it, except perhaps for the wrongko.

My feeling about this keris is as already stated, but if we apply logic and knowledge of history, it could also be argued that this keris is a production that could have originated in Borneo.

We know that keris were produced in Borneo for members of the various cultural groups who lived there. These keris resembled the keris that originated in the same place as the people, and their descendants, for whom the keris were made, but with significant variation in detail.
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