Bali Keris

Boedhi Adhitya · 15th September 2005, 07:00 AM

To thank you very much, Mick, and all forumities, for the compliment. I personally felt that this compliment should not be addressed to me, but to my elderly "gurus" and fellow keris' devotees. I'm just conveying a little bit of knowledge and experience that I thought I have, and just in thirst to learn more. I'm happy to see that my posts would "make senses" to many forumities. I would ask all the forumities though, to remind me if I'm wrong or out of the line.

Nechesh, I'm very glad that you are able to stain/etch the blade. Even in Java, only a few collectors are able to properly do it. It takes patient and a lot of practices to master. It also takes times, and time is money. But I urge any serious keris collectors to master this skill because traditionally, it is the owner himself who should maintain/clean his pusakas

My claim that brushing technique only practised in Jogja is false then. (And I'm really glad I'm false in this case

). It based mainly on my observation in Java that most, if not all, "professional etcher" use the immersion technique, simply because it's more efficient and cost effective while working on a lot of blades.

As long as I recall, gold inlay would not be affected by warangan solution. I have personally etched some kerises/spearheads with gold inlay, and it's okay. The color of gold would only came brighter

. Until today, I've not heard nor seen any gold inlay being affected/ruined by warangan from my fellow collector/etcher. Remember though, I (and many etcher I know), use undilluted Citrus aurantifolia juices (key lime, according to Wikipedia

or limau/jeruk nipis in indonesia/malay). Don't forget to cleanly peel off all the lime's skins for all processes (methak or making solution). It contains some oil which may make the blade yellowish, and thus may also ruin the solution. Use yellowish ripe limes only, not a green ones. 1kg of good, ripe limes will give approx. 1 liter juice.
Just be careful on brushing or you will peel off those gold foil. I personally use 1" paintbrush to apply the warangan. Just cut the brush a little to make it stiffer. Toothbrush would be only used on "methak" and washing-the-warangan's process. Water, indeed, play an important part. I also observed that tap water which may contain some fluoride do make the blade slightly yellowish. Well water is better for me. Distillated would be the best, but may cost me more. As long as you follow this "old recipee", I bet you are on the save side

You may buy realgar on traditional chinese's drugstore, if you manage to find one. Scientifically, arsenikum called 'Shen' in chinese. Commoners will call it 'Bi Shuang' (pee -soo-ang). Chinese traditional physician/medicine man would called it 'Hung Sin Se' for red realgar (the ones you should buy) or 'Pai Sin Se' for white (?) one. I'm not a chinese nor speak mandarin language. Just my fellow collector told me. My friends also told me that common realgar trading on traditional market in China has been banned, since some criminals used it on poisoning peoples. So, it might be a little bit harder to find, but the fact that it is still exist in Indonesia today surely suggest that it is still possible to find it. Realgar should be the first choice for etching kerises since it is much safer and, some say, gives more "live' to the blade. Just pick a good, orange-red/pink to deep purple crystal ones. Anyway, Jogjakarta court use As2O3 in their heirlooms cleansing ceremony

Thank's for the link, Nechesh. Wong Desa knew what he was talking about. It is right that you couldn't have the best appearance on the first shot, especially on a long-time abandoned and corroded blade. It takes 2-3 times. Just let 1 or 2 months in between to let the warangan "react" more, and pick the "dirt" from the keris' pores. Putting some more oils and keep it wet would also help the process. Just keep the oil away from the sheath or ivory handle or it will stain the sheath/handle.

wish may help.

purwacarita · 23rd September 2005, 05:18 PM

To say it old is one thing, Boedhi said it, because of sangling, old Balinese keris could not be like yours. But to say it beautiful is the thing because it is truly beautiful. A work of fine art, sOuo ...dynamic. W

F !! I've some pieces original from Bali, this one, I think, was made from Java. The compliments shall be to those masters from Javanese. My deep respects.

nechesh · 23rd September 2005, 06:02 PM

Something tells me you are incorrect on this one purwacarita. Everything about this keris says Balinese to me.

Rick · 23rd September 2005, 08:14 PM

Purwacarita , having made your statement I guess you will have to provide us doubters with concrete proof .
West Jawa , Bantam perhaps ?
East Jawa , Blambangan maybe ?

IMO Balinese empus were quite capable of producing this quality of work in the 17thC.

nechesh · 23rd September 2005, 09:07 PM

Just to qualify my remarks, i should say that not EVERYTHING about this keris says Bali to be. The warangan, for instance, MAY very well have been applied in Jawa and the newly commissoned sheath COULD have been made by Javanese craftmen in the style of Bali. Certainly the new uwer (mendak) MIGHT very possible be Javanese. BUT, the blade itself IMO is in all PROBABILITY Balinese.

purwacarita · 25th September 2005, 11:53 AM

Hi Rick. I was not saying that Balinese could not make this quality.

I could not provide concrete proof, sorry,

I don't know about empu in Java. Pamor at sor-soran is not 'till the edge, it reads peace keeps the commitment accompanied, ...but the peace ends in the middle of the blade where it should go straight up along the blade so to read properly peace along the way 'till death. The sogokan also ends at sor-soran, yet another sogokan comes from the edge (interference from death?), ...thus I think is work of creativity which does not concern reading of symbolic language in the keris. Though symbols may vary between different communities, ...I had a strange feeling to admit this one as Balinese.

Our empu will struggle to make keris to retain its symbolic meaning to our certain community.

Rick · 25th September 2005, 08:06 PM

Purwacarita , if another sogokan emerges after the end of the first one then might it symbolize rebirth or a second chance , defense from death ?

15th September 2005, 07:00 AM	#1
Boedhi Adhitya Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 103	To thank you very much, Mick, and all forumities, for the compliment. I personally felt that this compliment should not be addressed to me, but to my elderly "gurus" and fellow keris' devotees. I'm just conveying a little bit of knowledge and experience that I thought I have, and just in thirst to learn more. I'm happy to see that my posts would "make senses" to many forumities. I would ask all the forumities though, to remind me if I'm wrong or out of the line. Nechesh, I'm very glad that you are able to stain/etch the blade. Even in Java, only a few collectors are able to properly do it. It takes patient and a lot of practices to master. It also takes times, and time is money. But I urge any serious keris collectors to master this skill because traditionally, it is the owner himself who should maintain/clean his pusakas My claim that brushing technique only practised in Jogja is false then. (And I'm really glad I'm false in this case ). It based mainly on my observation in Java that most, if not all, "professional etcher" use the immersion technique, simply because it's more efficient and cost effective while working on a lot of blades. As long as I recall, gold inlay would not be affected by warangan solution. I have personally etched some kerises/spearheads with gold inlay, and it's okay. The color of gold would only came brighter . Until today, I've not heard nor seen any gold inlay being affected/ruined by warangan from my fellow collector/etcher. Remember though, I (and many etcher I know), use undilluted Citrus aurantifolia juices (key lime, according to Wikipedia or limau/jeruk nipis in indonesia/malay). Don't forget to cleanly peel off all the lime's skins for all processes (methak or making solution). It contains some oil which may make the blade yellowish, and thus may also ruin the solution. Use yellowish ripe limes only, not a green ones. 1kg of good, ripe limes will give approx. 1 liter juice. Just be careful on brushing or you will peel off those gold foil. I personally use 1" paintbrush to apply the warangan. Just cut the brush a little to make it stiffer. Toothbrush would be only used on "methak" and washing-the-warangan's process. Water, indeed, play an important part. I also observed that tap water which may contain some fluoride do make the blade slightly yellowish. Well water is better for me. Distillated would be the best, but may cost me more. As long as you follow this "old recipee", I bet you are on the save side You may buy realgar on traditional chinese's drugstore, if you manage to find one. Scientifically, arsenikum called 'Shen' in chinese. Commoners will call it 'Bi Shuang' (pee -soo-ang). Chinese traditional physician/medicine man would called it 'Hung Sin Se' for red realgar (the ones you should buy) or 'Pai Sin Se' for white (?) one. I'm not a chinese nor speak mandarin language. Just my fellow collector told me. My friends also told me that common realgar trading on traditional market in China has been banned, since some criminals used it on poisoning peoples. So, it might be a little bit harder to find, but the fact that it is still exist in Indonesia today surely suggest that it is still possible to find it. Realgar should be the first choice for etching kerises since it is much safer and, some say, gives more "live' to the blade. Just pick a good, orange-red/pink to deep purple crystal ones. Anyway, Jogjakarta court use As2O3 in their heirlooms cleansing ceremony Thank's for the link, Nechesh. Wong Desa knew what he was talking about. It is right that you couldn't have the best appearance on the first shot, especially on a long-time abandoned and corroded blade. It takes 2-3 times. Just let 1 or 2 months in between to let the warangan "react" more, and pick the "dirt" from the keris' pores. Putting some more oils and keep it wet would also help the process. Just keep the oil away from the sheath or ivory handle or it will stain the sheath/handle. wish may help. Last edited by Boedhi Adhitya; 15th September 2005 at 08:19 AM. Reason: addition

23rd September 2005, 05:18 PM	#2
purwacarita Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 54	To say it old is one thing, Boedhi said it, because of sangling, old Balinese keris could not be like yours. But to say it beautiful is the thing because it is truly beautiful. A work of fine art, sOuo ...dynamic. WF !! I've some pieces original from Bali, this one, I think, was made from Java. The compliments shall be to those masters from Javanese. My deep respects.

23rd September 2005, 06:02 PM	#3
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Something tells me you are incorrect on this one purwacarita. Everything about this keris says Balinese to me.

23rd September 2005, 08:14 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,376	Purwacarita , having made your statement I guess you will have to provide us doubters with concrete proof . West Jawa , Bantam perhaps ? East Jawa , Blambangan maybe ? IMO Balinese empus were quite capable of producing this quality of work in the 17thC.

23rd September 2005, 09:07 PM	#5
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Just to qualify my remarks, i should say that not EVERYTHING about this keris says Bali to be. The warangan, for instance, MAY very well have been applied in Jawa and the newly commissoned sheath COULD have been made by Javanese craftmen in the style of Bali. Certainly the new uwer (mendak) MIGHT very possible be Javanese. BUT, the blade itself IMO is in all PROBABILITY Balinese.

25th September 2005, 11:53 AM	#6
purwacarita Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 54	Hi Rick. I was not saying that Balinese could not make this quality. I could not provide concrete proof, sorry, I don't know about empu in Java. Pamor at sor-soran is not 'till the edge, it reads peace keeps the commitment accompanied, ...but the peace ends in the middle of the blade where it should go straight up along the blade so to read properly peace along the way 'till death. The sogokan also ends at sor-soran, yet another sogokan comes from the edge (interference from death?), ...thus I think is work of creativity which does not concern reading of symbolic language in the keris. Though symbols may vary between different communities, ...I had a strange feeling to admit this one as Balinese. Our empu will struggle to make keris to retain its symbolic meaning to our certain community.

25th September 2005, 08:06 PM	#7
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,376	Purwacarita , if another sogokan emerges after the end of the first one then might it symbolize rebirth or a second chance , defense from death ?