new keris for comment

David · 6th March 2007, 10:35 PM

I also noticed the shortened proportion in these photgraphs, but it is possible that this might be a trick of photographic perspective since it seems that you may not be directly over the top of this blade when shooting down on it. A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes they can be deceptive.

Alan, could you explain "Kajoran" a bit more as it is not a tangguh designation i am familar with.

A. G. Maisey · 7th March 2007, 12:50 AM

Yeah, could easy be David, but Ferry told us that the keris is 38cm overall, take away the handle and mendak and you're looking at about 11.5 inches, which is fairly short---still within the bounds of a normal keris, but with a wide sorsoran like that, and a nice substantial blade, to my eye, the proportion is all wrong.

The Lords of Kajoran were a powerful family in Central Jawa between the time of the end of Sultan Agung's rule, and the establishment of Kartosuro. Its just a tag that is put on blades with that generally Mataramish look, but with the wide, heavy ada-ada ---like a buffalo's back--- and that are attributed to that period.

Don't get too tied up in tangguh. Give 6 ahli keris a blade to classify and you'll likely get a dozen opinions UNLESS that blade is a top quality Kraton blade, when you will get just one opinion.

Why? Because everybody wants to hang a tangguh on everything, and the system was not designed to do this.

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6th March 2007, 10:35 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,219	I also noticed the shortened proportion in these photgraphs, but it is possible that this might be a trick of photographic perspective since it seems that you may not be directly over the top of this blade when shooting down on it. A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes they can be deceptive. Alan, could you explain "Kajoran" a bit more as it is not a tangguh designation i am familar with.

7th March 2007, 12:50 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	Yeah, could easy be David, but Ferry told us that the keris is 38cm overall, take away the handle and mendak and you're looking at about 11.5 inches, which is fairly short---still within the bounds of a normal keris, but with a wide sorsoran like that, and a nice substantial blade, to my eye, the proportion is all wrong. The Lords of Kajoran were a powerful family in Central Jawa between the time of the end of Sultan Agung's rule, and the establishment of Kartosuro. Its just a tag that is put on blades with that generally Mataramish look, but with the wide, heavy ada-ada ---like a buffalo's back--- and that are attributed to that period. Don't get too tied up in tangguh. Give 6 ahli keris a blade to classify and you'll likely get a dozen opinions UNLESS that blade is a top quality Kraton blade, when you will get just one opinion. Why? Because everybody wants to hang a tangguh on everything, and the system was not designed to do this.