Keris Bugis discussion

A. G. Maisey · 4th September 2016, 01:59 PM

Jean, I'm sorry, but I do not regard the work in this keris dress as being of particularly high quality. For this class of keris, it is pretty average. I apologise for my bluntness.

The embossing is good, solid, middle of the road quality, but the actual fabrication is severely lacking in attention to detail.

Please look particularly at the way that the ends of the top cross part (gambar, atasan) of the scabbard curve in to fit under the cap, and at the poor fit of the buntut to the gandar, additionally, the proportions of the gandar to the atasan are seemingly too narrow, and the hilt seems to be deficient in form, however these matters of proportion and form could be due to the angle at which the photo was taken. There is also the poor execution of the joint of atasan to gandar, it curves down, instead of being at a sharp angle.

To my eye this is Kota Gede work, but it was not made in Kota Gede, I believe it was made in a workshop in a kampung off Jln. Martodinoto a couple of kilometers out of the center of Jogja.

If I am correct, the man who did the fabrication, but not the embossing, passed to another world about 15-20 years ago. He was around 75-80 when he passed, but he was uncertain of exactly how old he was. He had been trained in Kota Gede and worked there prior to opening his own workshop.

4th September 2016, 01:59 PM	#10
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Jean, I'm sorry, but I do not regard the work in this keris dress as being of particularly high quality. For this class of keris, it is pretty average. I apologise for my bluntness. The embossing is good, solid, middle of the road quality, but the actual fabrication is severely lacking in attention to detail. Please look particularly at the way that the ends of the top cross part (gambar, atasan) of the scabbard curve in to fit under the cap, and at the poor fit of the buntut to the gandar, additionally, the proportions of the gandar to the atasan are seemingly too narrow, and the hilt seems to be deficient in form, however these matters of proportion and form could be due to the angle at which the photo was taken. There is also the poor execution of the joint of atasan to gandar, it curves down, instead of being at a sharp angle. To my eye this is Kota Gede work, but it was not made in Kota Gede, I believe it was made in a workshop in a kampung off Jln. Martodinoto a couple of kilometers out of the center of Jogja. If I am correct, the man who did the fabrication, but not the embossing, passed to another world about 15-20 years ago. He was around 75-80 when he passed, but he was uncertain of exactly how old he was. He had been trained in Kota Gede and worked there prior to opening his own workshop.