Nice Java Keris?

[A. G. Maisey]

Koripan is really pretty basic stuff. Its the place that is best known for commercially produced blades in Central Jawa, however, I guess you don't get to hear about it unless you're Javanese, because as I said, the dealers almost invariably present these blades as Mataram.

I can't show you pictures. I might have a few Koripan blades in stock, I've got none in my collection, but to find them would involve time and work. I'm sorry. However, if you note the salient features of this blade of Michael's virtually all Koripan blades will look similar.

AND bear this in mind, I said :- "If I handled this blade, I feel that I would probably classify it as Koripan."

That's a qualification Jean. I'm 90+% sure its Koripan, but in the hand there could be indicators that pushed my opinion in a different direction.

We all know Tuban, but that's actually a tangguh, rather than designation of a specific village location. Tuban was a sea port, and blades passed through it as items of trade, both for places outside Jawa, and for the interior. The tradition is that Tuban made blades for use in the various kingdoms--- Pajajaran, Majapahit, Mataram--- but Tuban never had the industrial capacity to do this, if you read the old accounts of Tuban, it was just a muddy little sea port, however, smiths from surrounding areas would have brought their product to Tuban to sell.

There was Gresik, which is well known for copies of old historic tangguhs, like Pajajaran, Segaluh, Majapahit. Pretty easy to pick the Gresik copies because the material almost invariably has a greasy feel to it.

This is what I can think of easily. There were other places scattered all over that produced blades "in the style of", some of these are decent, some are just pretty ordinary, but only a few have been given their own widely known classifications, like Matesih ( Mataram Matesih) and Madiun.

I don't think that we can take this identication of a couple of places as identification of any source for ordinary blades. Going back a couple of hundred years or so, I believe you would have found pandai keris and skilled smiths right across Jawa who produced the occasional keris blade.

[Jean]

Thank you Alan for the additional information and I fully understand your qualification, and will remember that the Gresik blades look greasy, haha!
Best regards
Jean

[A. G. Maisey]

Feel greasy Jean.

Feel greasy.

[Jean]

Hello Alan,
Thanks for the correction. Like may be other collectors I feel puzzled by these descriptions of blades feeling wet or dry or greasy to the touch, could you please elaborate a little about it?
Regarding the copy blades from Gresik, during which approximate period were they manufactured?
Thank you and best regards
Jean

[A. G. Maisey]

Sorry Jean, the dating of Gresik manufacture is not a part of this belief system

In respect of "greasy". If you run your fingers over a normal old keris blade it will feel moderately rough and textured. If you run your fingers over an old Gresik blade there is a smooth, slippery feel to the metal, the surface does not catch your fingers like other blades do.

[Jean]

Thank you very much Alan

[sirek]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

In respect of "greasy". If you run your fingers over a normal old keris blade it will feel moderately rough and textured. If you run your fingers over an old Gresik blade there is a smooth, slippery feel to the metal, the surface does not catch your fingers like other blades do.

When I began reading the explanation of greasy, I wanted to show this keris,
I always found it surface had a greasy look and feel, what I've never seen before in a keris.

I hope the pictures shows what I mean.

[A. G. Maisey]

Very peculiar keris this one.

Boto adeg blumbangan, tiny kembang kacang that is out of proportion, odo2, pawakan reminiscent of Bugis, greneng that does not say anything at all about Jawa.

It looks as if it is in Javanese dress, but I rather doubt that this is a Javanese blade. Too many anomalies.