Another wilah for identification.

A. G. Maisey · 4th January 2012, 09:01 PM

Harley, it doesn't matter whether you dress it in Solo or Jogja scabbard and hilt.

The blades that are found in both types of dress can come from a wide variety of places, including Bali and Sulawesi.

Once a blade from whatever geographic location goes into dress from another location, it becomes that type of keris. This is the reason we tend to describe a complete keris by reference first to its dress, and then to its blade origin or tangguh.

Personally, I would not waste time in redressing this keris. The scabbard and hilt you have shown are more than adequate for this blade. As already advised, this is a keris of very ordinary quality, it lacks characteristics that allow it to be identified as from any specific area. Its just a keris, and can be dressed in almost any way that pleases you, however, the time spent in doing this would be purely for your own amusement.

Blades that come from anywhere in Jawa, and some places outside Jawa, can look very similar, unless they are old and good blades that follow a particular line of design , usually associated with a palace (kraton).

For ordinary, common or garden quality blades, many varying characteristics can be incorporated into the one blade, and quality of workmanship can vary from appalling to extremely high, however, since no established pattern or line of design is being followed, about all we can say is that one of these keris is from Jawa, and even then, that is not always so easy, nor so correct.

4th January 2012, 09:01 PM	#13
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Harley, it doesn't matter whether you dress it in Solo or Jogja scabbard and hilt. The blades that are found in both types of dress can come from a wide variety of places, including Bali and Sulawesi. Once a blade from whatever geographic location goes into dress from another location, it becomes that type of keris. This is the reason we tend to describe a complete keris by reference first to its dress, and then to its blade origin or tangguh. Personally, I would not waste time in redressing this keris. The scabbard and hilt you have shown are more than adequate for this blade. As already advised, this is a keris of very ordinary quality, it lacks characteristics that allow it to be identified as from any specific area. Its just a keris, and can be dressed in almost any way that pleases you, however, the time spent in doing this would be purely for your own amusement. Blades that come from anywhere in Jawa, and some places outside Jawa, can look very similar, unless they are old and good blades that follow a particular line of design , usually associated with a palace (kraton). For ordinary, common or garden quality blades, many varying characteristics can be incorporated into the one blade, and quality of workmanship can vary from appalling to extremely high, however, since no established pattern or line of design is being followed, about all we can say is that one of these keris is from Jawa, and even then, that is not always so easy, nor so correct.