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Old 13th February 2005, 03:32 PM   #1
tom hyle
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Hmmm....the more I look at the dark part of the handle, the more I think it is some of that dark spotty grain, and was specially selected to be placed this way on this handle, to form a band around the middle. A nice piece of work, actually. The colour of the wood on the handle is not quite the same as that on the sheath, but that doesn't mean they're not the same specie, or that multiple species may show this.....it looks like a fungus.
You work in a museum. You mayby don't put that white writing on things anymore (?), but maybe you can tell us what it is and how to remove it?
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Old 13th February 2005, 05:31 PM   #2
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THE WOOD IS NATURAL, THE PIECE SELECTED FOR THE HANDLE IS UNUSUAL IN HOW UNIFORM THE MARKING IS AND WOULD HAVE BEEN SPECIALLY SELECTED. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE WOOD USED BUT IT IS A VERY DESIRABLE TYPE AND PROBABLY HAS SPECIAL PROPERTYS AS WELL AS BEAUTY. AS TOM POINTED OUT SOME WOODS HAVE PATTERNS AND COLORS CAUSED BY CERTIAN TYPES OF FUNGI, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS WHAT CAUSES THE PATTERNS IN THIS TYPE WOOD OR NOT.
THE METAL WORK LOOKS TO BE OF VERY GOOD QUALITY TO ME , I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED A LARGER MEDAK WITH STONE SETS BUT PERHAPS IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONE THAT CAME ORIGINALLY WITH THE BLADE. THE SMALL FLOWER YOU SHOW APPEARS TO HAVE HAD A STONE SET AT SOME TIME ARE THERE ANY OTHER SETS? I THINK THE BLADE IS OLDER THAN THE GOLD FITTINGS AND WAS IMPORTANT TO THE OWNER AND WAS GIVEN THE GOLD FITTINGS LATER. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THE STONES CHECKED TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE AS DIAMONDS WOULD INCREASE THE VALUE AND NEED FOR MORE INSURANCE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE KERIS AND GREAT PICTURES THANKS FOR SHAREING.
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Old 13th February 2005, 05:31 PM   #3
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Tom: thank you for your replies. I would like to reassure you, that white painting on the handle is not my work . It was made many years ago, by my predecessors, and I'm sure you would be surprised, what ridiculous places on weapons were chosen to write an museum numbers. This is only white painting, and it's easy to wash off, so nothing to worry. But many weapons are defaced because of thoughtlessness and are in need of conservators.

I think that handle and upper piece of sheath are made of the same wood, but of different tint of colour. I can't be sure it is natural or because of former cleanings. You wrote this black stains looks like fungus, so they should be natural. They look more natural at the sheath, but on the handle they look more like painted, in places even like painted with some kind of band, moistened with dye, and wrapped around the handle. It looks like this, but it's only the feeling of inexperienced man. And this magic, well, it would be intresting, but if you're worry about white painting on the handle, than the vision of my person with the scraper gnashing on the kris, should bring you to heart attack

Battara: this stones, I think, are rock crystals not diamonds. Well, you're next one talking about Bonaspatti/Bonispatti. But everyone have another idea about this deity. Anyway - what for was Bonispatti, or... what are his powers ?? What for the poisoned diamond were ??
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Old 13th February 2005, 05:40 PM   #4
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Vandoo:thank you. It would be great if somebody could find the name for this wood. So this stains are natural?!

Because you're second person who asked about diamonds, I'll ask in few days an expert are this rock crystals a diamonds

About the small flower - actually I doubt there could be any stone in there. It is 1 cm long and this little hole in it, is only 1mm big, and to shallow to put anything in there - or I'm just underestimating the art of indonesian craftsmen.
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Old 13th February 2005, 06:32 PM   #5
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Sorry guys, but i just have to say it again. This is NOT a particularly good keris. You all seem to getting blinded by all that beautiful gold. The pendok is indeed exquisite, but the more i look at it the more i am convinced that it wasn't made for this sheath (nor the sheath to fit the pendok) but is merely adapted to fit. Again, why these pieces have come together is open to opinion, but i maintain that they don't belong together. Note how badly the mask fits, how much it rises above the top of the sheath. And as Jose points out, wouldn't a dress like this most likely have a more elaborate hilt. This hilt is a fine example of it's type but very ordinary really. Everything in this ensemble is, in fact, grossly out shone by the gold pendok. It's like those IQ test questions they give you where they group a number of things and ask which one does not belong. What is out of place here?
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Old 13th February 2005, 08:18 PM   #6
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Unhappy This was beautiful day... it was...

Thank you nechesh for your sincerity - you've just ruined my Sunday... just kidding...
So we got here very ordinary kris, with a little older blade, and superb, excellent, not-fitting-to-all-of these sheath. That's not to bad at all.

Waiting for more opinions
Best regards
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Old 13th February 2005, 08:43 PM   #7
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No Wolviex. not bad. In fact, i'll bet i could probably buy more than one nice keris with the profits from that pendok alone. It is a very nice piece.
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Old 14th February 2005, 07:39 AM   #8
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The wood looks to be pelet and the figure appears to be Boma, an earth guardian for warding off evil entities as Tom surmises. Sometimes seen with finger claws. An example could be seen in the book "Royal gifts from Indonesia".
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