Old Javanese keris for comment

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by alexish

Any comments on the Pendok - does it tend towards Solo or Jogja style?

I believe it is antique silver.

Hello Alexish,

Alan give already a hint towards Banyumas, Central Java. But for sure not Solo or Yogya IMVHO.

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

The pendok might be silver, but it much more likely to mamas --- in any case, its very easy to test.

The curve of the pendok doesn't bother me Detlef. I've seen a lot of variation in this with Banyumas pendoks, I doubt that it is something that we can use to guide us.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

The curve of the pendok doesn't bother me Detlef. I've seen a lot of variation in this with Banyumas pendoks, I doubt that it is something that we can use to guide us.

You have seen/handled for sure a lot more as I am so you will be correct, all I've seen are nearly straight or only a little bit curved at the mouth.

Regards,
Detlef

[A. G. Maisey]

No, not necessarily, I do not pay nearly as much attention as most people to dress variation, from my perspective dress is not very important at all, more or less just a curiosity.

[Jean]

I fully agree with Alan's opinion but would like to add 2 detailed comments:
. The ganja is quite straight while the scabbard atasan is very curved even in its center part so I think that the blade & scabbard are not originally matching.
. The pendok shows a gap with the gandar on the top left corner so I think that it is also not the original one.
Regards

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes Jean, your observations are correct, but when I also noted these, my thoughts were that we would really need to see and handle this keris to be sure about what was happening with it. Look at the curve in the top of the gambar, it is quite steep, but after the initial"kick", it seems to flatten out, maybe this blade sits reasonably well in the gambar.

One of the rules of thumb that a m'ranggi will use in fitting a blade is not that the curve of the gonjo must follow the curve of the gambar, but that the sirah cecak and the buntut urang should be covered, now, if we get a slightly less than expert m'ranggi, what he is likely to do is to permit the form of the gambar to be prioritised over the shape of the gonjo.

With the fit of the pendok, that can depend upon the thickness of the gambar, and if the gambar form is prioritised over the fit of pendok --- something that does not really matter, because when worn we do not see the transition from pendok to gambar --- then of course there will be gaps. We find this often enough in run of the mill Central Jawa pieces, so for something like this ensemble, which is way outside the mainstream, the pendok fit to me, does not seem to be very important.

Of course, with it in the hand, all prognostications could well be reversed.

The thing that makes me think this is not a dealer's melange is the fit of that selut/mendak to the hilt, it looks like it was made for it. If this sort of trouble was taken, it seems likely that there would have been some effort go into the rest of it, even if it was slightly misdirected effort.

[Jean]

Alexish, could you please show us the pics of the blade inside the scabbard both from side and top view? It will help to assess if the fitting was original or not.
Regards