KERIS BLADE

A. G. Maisey · 30th October 2011, 10:50 PM

I'd call it wos wutah, and I believe most people I know in Solo would say the same.

All these random pamors can be classified and classified and classified again.

You can come up with any number of names for wos wutah, and I've noticed that in recent years we seem to have a lot more names to choose from.

I wouldn't give it as ngulit semangko because it is just not coarse enough --- that's the only difference between ngulit semangko and wos wutah:- the number of layers, they're both made in the same way.

Sajen · 31st October 2011, 07:42 AM

Thank you Alan,

for myself is wos wutah entirely ok. The pamor is nice and well controlled so it's equal which name it has.

Regards,

Detlef

GIO · 1st November 2011, 07:05 PM

Sajen, sorry for the wrong appreciation: I am not a great expert.
The keris is really nice, and the etching is very good.

PenangsangII · 2nd November 2011, 06:50 AM

This keris looks very well made, but I'll need to ask, especially to Alan.

What are the characteristics of a keris made inside the kraton? If there is any pic of kraton keris of similar dapur / pamor / tangguh, I would really like to see it for camparison. Thanking you in advance.

PenangsangII · 2nd November 2011, 07:02 AM

I have another keris of different dapur, and different tangguh, claimed by the seller as a kraton piece. unfortunately its not of Surakarta Hadiningrat. My piece was claimed to be of Sri Manganti Hall, Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat during HBV era.

A. G. Maisey · 2nd November 2011, 08:27 AM

This is a core question, and is both the easiest and the most difficult question to answer.

The easy answer is that a keris made by a karaton mpu will be of superior workmanship.

But does this mean every keris of superior workmanship is going to be the product of a karaton mpu?

No, it does not.

What it means is that any keris that is claimed as being the work of a karaton empu should be of superior workmanship.

This then means that it should follow exactly the style for the period and it then follows that it should be able to be identified as being the work of a particular maker.

We are now into the realm of tangguh, and what that means is that any number of people can give any number of opinions, some of which might be able to be accepted, some of which might not be able to be accepted.

It makes it a little bit easier if it is a more recent blade, and it carries a ron dha, but even then, all opinions are open to question.

If one can obtain the opinions of several people, preferably people who do not belong to the same keris group, and those opinions agree, then there is a good chance that the opinions will be correct.

In short, there is no easy way to answer this question adequately.

PenangsangII · 3rd November 2011, 03:19 AM

Thank you Alan.

from the historical perspective, many keraton empu started off as an apprentice / panjak of the empu who served in the kraton. Legends however, mention that best empu could be from ndheso / humble working place, such as the case of Empu Gandring, Jaka Sura, Sombro and many more. It is also a fact, some kraton empus also relinguished their kraton association and became ascetic in the rural area, Mpu umyang being the case here.

Does this mean, those originally from Kraton, when they left the service and became empu ndheso, they no longer produce keris of kraton's quatlity and pakem?

2nd November 2011, 07:02 AM	#5
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	I have another keris of different dapur, and different tangguh, claimed by the seller as a kraton piece. unfortunately its not of Surakarta Hadiningrat. My piece was claimed to be of Sri Manganti Hall, Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat during HBV era. Attached Images

30th October 2011, 10:50 PM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	I'd call it wos wutah, and I believe most people I know in Solo would say the same. All these random pamors can be classified and classified and classified again. You can come up with any number of names for wos wutah, and I've noticed that in recent years we seem to have a lot more names to choose from. I wouldn't give it as ngulit semangko because it is just not coarse enough --- that's the only difference between ngulit semangko and wos wutah:- the number of layers, they're both made in the same way.

31st October 2011, 07:42 AM	#2
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,165	Thank you Alan, for myself is wos wutah entirely ok. The pamor is nice and well controlled so it's equal which name it has. Regards, Detlef

1st November 2011, 07:05 PM	#3
GIO Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 328	Sajen, sorry for the wrong appreciation: I am not a great expert. The keris is really nice, and the etching is very good.

2nd November 2011, 06:50 AM	#4
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	This keris looks very well made, but I'll need to ask, especially to Alan. What are the characteristics of a keris made inside the kraton? If there is any pic of kraton keris of similar dapur / pamor / tangguh, I would really like to see it for camparison. Thanking you in advance.

2nd November 2011, 08:27 AM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	This is a core question, and is both the easiest and the most difficult question to answer. The easy answer is that a keris made by a karaton mpu will be of superior workmanship. But does this mean every keris of superior workmanship is going to be the product of a karaton mpu? No, it does not. What it means is that any keris that is claimed as being the work of a karaton empu should be of superior workmanship. This then means that it should follow exactly the style for the period and it then follows that it should be able to be identified as being the work of a particular maker. We are now into the realm of tangguh, and what that means is that any number of people can give any number of opinions, some of which might be able to be accepted, some of which might not be able to be accepted. It makes it a little bit easier if it is a more recent blade, and it carries a ron dha, but even then, all opinions are open to question. If one can obtain the opinions of several people, preferably people who do not belong to the same keris group, and those opinions agree, then there is a good chance that the opinions will be correct. In short, there is no easy way to answer this question adequately.

3rd November 2011, 03:19 AM	#7
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	Thank you Alan. from the historical perspective, many keraton empu started off as an apprentice / panjak of the empu who served in the kraton. Legends however, mention that best empu could be from ndheso / humble working place, such as the case of Empu Gandring, Jaka Sura, Sombro and many more. It is also a fact, some kraton empus also relinguished their kraton association and became ascetic in the rural area, Mpu umyang being the case here. Does this mean, those originally from Kraton, when they left the service and became empu ndheso, they no longer produce keris of kraton's quatlity and pakem?