Java kris for identification

A. G. Maisey · 20th January 2018, 07:41 PM

My opinion below:-

Tangguh might be Pajajaran, I cannot tell from photos, but it does appear to be a west Jawa keris. Although tangguh can legitimately relate a particular piece of tosan aji to an historic period, where the tangguh classification uses the same name as that which applies to an historic period, it is highly unlikely that the item classified as that tangguh actually dates from the period bearing the same name, but it probably does originate in the same geographic location where the historic kingdom was located.

Dhapur might be Bakung, I cannot tell from the pics

Pamor material is impossible to know with any certainty, either from a photo or in the hand. In the hand there are indicators that might give a possibility of material, but no certainty. Modern technology employed in metallographic examination may be able to provide strong evidence of meteoritic origin, see the King Tut thread.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23455

Pamor motif is probably not Sisik Sewu. Sisik Sewu resembles Udan Mas, but is smaller than Udan Mas, and each dot tends to overlay other dots, it is a tightly packed motif. I cannot name the pamor motif on this keris, there is too much of it missing, it may have originally been Pandan Iris.

The wrongko (warangka) is missing a ri pandan, if it was made this way it is probable that it is not the work of a Solo craftsman, but rather generic Central Jawa. Stylistically, and with a ri pandan it might be Kadipaten form, but differences in Solo wrongkos are so slight that it really needs to be held to give a supportable opinion. The other possibility is that it has been refinished a few times and has lost the ri pandan in the process. Still totally wearable, but not pristine.

The pendok can be attributed to Banyumas.

The ukiran might be Yudowinatan, but I would need a perfect 90 degree close up to give a supportable opinion; as with the atasan of a wrongko, Surakarta planar hilts have almost imperceptible differences.

The mendak is Surakarta Bejen.

It is old, it has been reshaped in that edge erosion has been tidied up, originally the wadidang would have been longer, the greneng has been recut.

It is a nice keris, typical of the older style of keris offered on the open market.

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20th January 2018, 07:41 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,035	My opinion below:- Tangguh might be Pajajaran, I cannot tell from photos, but it does appear to be a west Jawa keris. Although tangguh can legitimately relate a particular piece of tosan aji to an historic period, where the tangguh classification uses the same name as that which applies to an historic period, it is highly unlikely that the item classified as that tangguh actually dates from the period bearing the same name, but it probably does originate in the same geographic location where the historic kingdom was located. Dhapur might be Bakung, I cannot tell from the pics Pamor material is impossible to know with any certainty, either from a photo or in the hand. In the hand there are indicators that might give a possibility of material, but no certainty. Modern technology employed in metallographic examination may be able to provide strong evidence of meteoritic origin, see the King Tut thread. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=23455 Pamor motif is probably not Sisik Sewu. Sisik Sewu resembles Udan Mas, but is smaller than Udan Mas, and each dot tends to overlay other dots, it is a tightly packed motif. I cannot name the pamor motif on this keris, there is too much of it missing, it may have originally been Pandan Iris. The wrongko (warangka) is missing a ri pandan, if it was made this way it is probable that it is not the work of a Solo craftsman, but rather generic Central Jawa. Stylistically, and with a ri pandan it might be Kadipaten form, but differences in Solo wrongkos are so slight that it really needs to be held to give a supportable opinion. The other possibility is that it has been refinished a few times and has lost the ri pandan in the process. Still totally wearable, but not pristine. The pendok can be attributed to Banyumas. The ukiran might be Yudowinatan, but I would need a perfect 90 degree close up to give a supportable opinion; as with the atasan of a wrongko, Surakarta planar hilts have almost imperceptible differences. The mendak is Surakarta Bejen. It is old, it has been reshaped in that edge erosion has been tidied up, originally the wadidang would have been longer, the greneng has been recut. It is a nice keris, typical of the older style of keris offered on the open market.