Keris Malela Unduk Unduk

[Gustav]

Found one more - acquired 1928, hilt seems to be Akar Bahar. Blade could be Gonjo Iras, which possibly means a lot of dificulties carving Sraweyan and Blumbangan.

[Gavin Nugent]

Just doing a little light reading....I seemed to have missed this last year Gustav, thank you for sharing, this outs to rest the question of the form being new or old, referring to claims but some collectors that this is only a later 20th century design...

Gavin

[alexish]

Just for reference, I enclose pictures of an Indonesian-made malela-like keris for your comment.

[A. G. Maisey]

Alexish, this keris that you have posted a photo of is a very recent, current era keris.

The wrongko is attempting to be something that it is not. The carving and finishing is crude, it is trying to be a Bugis form, from where I don't know, but it is nothing at all like any wrongko of this broad general Bugis style that I have ever seen.

The pendongkok was very probably made in Surabaya, or at least marketed through East Jawa. I cannot see enough detail of the hilt to comment.

The blade is another story.
This is a very good example of a Kemardikan blade. The level of skill that is displayed in this blade appears to be of a very high standard.

As current era keris art it is a very good keris.

Chop up the wrongko and use it for firewood.

Have the blade re-dressed in a traditional Javanese style. If this keris belonged to me it would go into a very high quality East Javanese sandang walikat.

[David]

Well, i don't completely disagree with what you say here Alan, although this thread has been specifically about Keris Unduk Unduk, not all Keris Malela, so it does seem a little off topic for they thread. It does seem to be a well crafted modern era blade though.
For me personally, while probably made outside of Malaysia, i would hesitate to dress this blade in East Jawa form since the ricikan seems to embrace many elements that are specifically non-Javanese.

[A. G. Maisey]

I agree with you David, it is not about those sea-horse things, but it is about keris, and I doubt that Alexish is sufficiently advanced in keris knowledge to discern the fine variations in varying forms of keris. To an uneducated eye there is sufficient similarity in the ornamentation of the sorsoran in Gustav's sea-horse and Alexish's kemardikan to consider both are of a type.

As for ricikan in Alexish's keris being non-Javanese, well, the rules changed when the Jakarta Boys decided that we now had a legitimate name for current era keris. The new tangguh was Kemardikan. These days just about anything goes, it is art in the form of a keris, and Alexish's keris is pure kemardikan, it makes no pretense to be anything else, thus it does not need to conform to tangguh parameters set down in earlier times.

My preference would be for a good quality SW wrongko simply because it is a blade that should be appreciated for its own sake, not because it is part of a sociological phenomenon, and I would choose a Jawa Timur SW because they tend to be a bit more decorative than the Jawa Tengah ones, which would permit the top of the wrongko to follow the top of the gonjo. In any case, this kemardikan blade comes from Jawa Timur.

But if you reckon its too far off-topic to be here, why not open a new thread for it and shift it?

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I agree with you David, it is not about those sea-horse things, but it is about keris, and I doubt that Alexish is sufficiently advanced in keris knowledge to discern the fine variations in varying forms of keris. To an uneducated eye there is sufficient similarity in the ornamentation of the sorsoran in Gustav's sea-horse and Alexish's kemardikan to consider both are of a type.

You are most probably correct about Alexish not recognizing the difference between these two forms of keris. Hopefully by bringing the matter up he might now knows better.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

As for ricikan in Alexish's keris being non-Javanese, well, the rules changed when the Jakarta Boys decided that we now had a legitimate name for current era keris. The new tangguh was Kemardikan. These days just about anything goes, it is art in the form of a keris, and Alexish's keris is pure kemardikan, it makes no pretense to be anything else, thus it does not need to conform to tangguh parameters set down in earlier times.

I would tend to disagree. Though this blade clearly mixes aspects of styles of blade making i believe there is a pretense towards the Malay peninsula here in the intricate open carvings on the blade as well as the faux batu lapak at the base of the blade, which, though seen on Jawa blades is much more common on Malay keris AFAIK.

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

But if you reckon its too far off-topic to be here, why not open a new thread for it and shift it?

Frankly Alan you should feel free to discuss this blade right here if it pleases you. I don't think it worth the trouble to move to its own thread, but if Alexish would like more discussion on it he is certainly free to do so.