Review on Bali keris Pedang

[A. G. Maisey]

Perhaps Anthony, perhaps. At least the Balinese people did use keris in general as actual primary blood-letting instruments, not only as reserve weapons or talismanic weapons.

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Perhaps Anthony, perhaps. At least the Balinese people did use keris in general as actual primary blood-letting instruments, not only as reserve weapons or talismanic weapons.

And I think royalty , such word might NOT be correct, maybe nobility suits better. I try to figure out if an ordinary Balinese warrior can have such unique keris forged or it is reserved for nobility who has the fund and privilege to own a special 'dapur' keris.

[A. G. Maisey]

If we are trying to find a reasonably defensible class of person who might have owned this keris initially, I think that first we need to think in terms of time, ie, when was the blade made?

Then we can think in terms of wealth, ie, who was sufficiently wealthy to commission such a blade?


So question #1> how old is it?

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

If we are trying to find a reasonably defensible class of person who might have owned this keris initially, I think that first we need to think in terms of time, ie, when was the blade made?

Then we can think in terms of wealth, ie, who was sufficiently wealthy to commission such a blade?


So question #1> how old is it?

On paper it is 19th century. I suppose so.

[A. G. Maisey]

Possibly, but personally, I do not attach much credence to what somebody has written unless there is some sort of information to support the writing.

I have a similar keris to this, and the wrongko that it is in was made for it, this wrongko is ivory, and in my opinion that ivory looks like it could go back at least a couple of hundred years.

[SidJ]

Mendak might be gold?

[Anthony G.]

Originally Posted by SidJ

Mendak might be gold?

doesn't look so and the uwer stones look like glass.

[David]

Originally Posted by SidJ

Mendak might be gold?

I did a little searching online, and this is part of the original IFICAH catalog description. So yes, they identify the metal used in the wewer as "gold" and the stones as glass.
And they dated the keris as possibly being as old as late 18th century in the catalog.
They also mention the sarung (not shown for some reason either in their catalog for the show or in the auction catalog) as being sesrengatan. I am a bit surprised that a sesrengatan sheath would be matched with a tapukan hilt. Anyone have an opinion on that.

Mendak Gold set with dark stone or glass cabochons.
Scabbard: not shown, mouthpiece elaborate sesrengatan form (javan. ladrangan), reserved for the spiritual and secular upper classes (brahmana, khsatrya).
Blade 18th or early 19th century, mount 20th century.
Blade 47.3 cm