Cleaning and polishing my bali-keris

njo kesasar · 23rd January 2010, 11:54 PM

Rick David Asomotif
The burn test gives a wooden smell (did the test on the hilt as well on an Indonesian statue cut out of horn to compare, both with that result, so perhaps my nose is not that fine anymore

)
It´s heavy compared to his size
njo

njo kesasar · 24th January 2010, 12:17 AM

Some BW pictures if that may help (perhaps a workshop in taking good pictures for this forum?)

njo kesasar · 24th January 2010, 09:20 PM

Really nobody who can tell me who the person is?
Can someone show me the way then which literature or internetsite to consult?
THKS for your suggestions
Njo

Rick · 25th January 2010, 01:42 AM

I think the problem we run into with positively identifying these Bali Figural hilts is called 'Artistic License' or 'Carver's Interpretation' .

Unless they are unmistakable in their form they are open to interpretation .

A. G. Maisey · 25th January 2010, 09:37 PM

Yes Rick, that's pretty true, especially with figures that are current era production.

If we go back to before about the 1930's, I think we probably see figures in Balinese carving that are more readily identifiable with specific entities, but when we move into the current era we find a more free interpretation by carvers, and a lot of figures that could be regarded as generic representations.

I'm not talking just about keris hilts, but about Balinese carvings of all shapes, sizes and qualities.

In the case of this hilt under discussion, I feel that what we have is a generic demon --- the fangs --- so let's call him a raksasa.

24th January 2010, 12:17 AM	#2
njo kesasar Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 17	Some BW pictures if that may help (perhaps a workshop in taking good pictures for this forum?) Attached Images

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23rd January 2010, 11:54 PM	#1
njo kesasar Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 17	Rick David Asomotif The burn test gives a wooden smell (did the test on the hilt as well on an Indonesian statue cut out of horn to compare, both with that result, so perhaps my nose is not that fine anymore ) It´s heavy compared to his size njo

24th January 2010, 09:20 PM	#3
njo kesasar Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 17	Really nobody who can tell me who the person is? Can someone show me the way then which literature or internetsite to consult? THKS for your suggestions Njo

25th January 2010, 01:42 AM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,339	I think the problem we run into with positively identifying these Bali Figural hilts is called 'Artistic License' or 'Carver's Interpretation' . Unless they are unmistakable in their form they are open to interpretation .

25th January 2010, 09:37 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,016	Yes Rick, that's pretty true, especially with figures that are current era production. If we go back to before about the 1930's, I think we probably see figures in Balinese carving that are more readily identifiable with specific entities, but when we move into the current era we find a more free interpretation by carvers, and a lot of figures that could be regarded as generic representations. I'm not talking just about keris hilts, but about Balinese carvings of all shapes, sizes and qualities. In the case of this hilt under discussion, I feel that what we have is a generic demon --- the fangs --- so let's call him a raksasa.