Keris Lampung Luk 9 ganja iras

[Jean]

Originally Posted by henri

Hello dear members ,

Just got this keris probably from Lampung . Not a masterpiece and not cleaned yet but would like to get your advices regarding the ganja ... missing before starting the cleaning . I already handled a couple of times similar keris from Lampung and bizarrely the ganja was also missing . So , wondering why or if this particular kind of blade could come without ???

I would also appreciate your inputs regarding a replacement ganja .What recommendations I will have to follow to do so .


Henri

Henri,
A simple way to know if a ganja is missing or iras: the bottom of the pejetan should not extend to the base of the blade like for your blade, so the ganja of your blade is missing. A ganja iras may not be clearly marked but is located below the pejetan. Of course the shape of the base of the blade (flared on the back side) is another indicator but not always obvious.
About making a new ganja but without sending the blade to a maker, it looks quite risky to me, not only for matching the shape of the blade but also because of the the "new" look of the ganja versus the old blade, and the colour matching. Personally I would keep the blade as it is if I could not ship it to a specialized craftsman.
Regards

[henri]

Hi Willem

2 pics as promised . A new ganja will let it out of the sheath .

The blade is badly rusted and will need probably more than 1 week " pineapple bath " .

[henri]

Pics

[henri]

Thank you Gio an Jean . I will post some photos when this restoration will be completed .

[Sajen]

From what I can see by your new pictures I think that blade and scabbard don't belong original together. To restore this keris to a good looking one will need a lot of effort. But it will be possible. I am curious how it will look when all is done. Good luck!

Regards,

Detlef

[GIO]

Henry,
your pics of the blade inside the scabbard clearly show that there is something missing at the mouth: a ganja.
As to the lack of space for a ganja there are two possible reasons
either there is something inside that prevents the blade from being entirely inserted (are you sure the blade does not touch the bottom?)
or the scabbard does not belong to the blade.
In my opinion it is really a pity not to restore this nice keris with a new ganja and adapting the scabbard.
Good luck
Gio

[Jean]

Like Detlef I believe that the blade and scabbard are not originally matching, as it is very often the case. Before thinking of making a new ganja or finding a replacement one, I would wonder if this blade is from South Sumatra or not, personally I don't know.
Regards