Balinese Keris For Comment

[BluErf]

Originally Posted by Rick

Finally got up and running again , it only cost me a new CPU .

Trying out a picture of my new Bali keris .

Hi Rick,

Its a nice keris. I especially like the graceful curl of the kembang kacang and the way the jalen underneath stretches out, almost like an elephant's lips opening to receive something from the trunk.

I have been noticing kerises with a 'look' that's similar to this piece, appearing on ebay and other auction houses recently. Very interesting observation is that the pamor lines are the 'thin' sort, not the 'thick' sort I usually see. The luks also look similar - shallow, stretched out, and quite equidistant from base to tip; not quite the sort seen in the books. Finally, the sheaths on these kerises also have a similar 'look'. I can only clumsily describe it as broader vertically, but more compact horizontally. And the wood -- usually not kayu pelet.

I wonder if this sort of kerises comes from E Java instead (ok, its a guess)? Presumably E Javanese kerises have significant influences from Balinese/Lombok kerises, but still retaining some special characteristics of their own?