Keris to comment

A. G. Maisey · 9th June 2018, 10:34 PM

Yes Kai, Kemardikan, no legitimate Surakarta dhapur.

I specify "Surakarta", because that is the only documented one that we have.

drdavid · 9th June 2018, 11:47 PM

Hello Ridho, I am afraid I cannot add to the comments, but could I suggest photographing your keris with a plain background rather than a patterned one, it makes it easier to pick out the details
regards
Drdavid

ridho pulungan · 11th June 2018, 04:47 PM

Sorry for bad picture..i will send another picture later..thanks you for all your kind comment..
Regards.

ridho pulungan · 12th June 2018, 04:14 AM

Hi guys..
Hope this picture can make you more clear about this keris.
Regards.
Ridho Pulungan

David · 12th June 2018, 02:18 PM

Yes Ridho, these are better photos in that they are not shaky and blurry, but they are a bit too dark to show the details well. I hope you don't mind that i lightened one up for better viewing.

David · 12th June 2018, 02:26 PM

I think what we can now see shows why you identified this figures as Singo rather than Naga. They have front legs and paws, not a feature generally shown on Naga. They also seem to have manes. Then again the legs seem to have scales.
I believe we have already established this keris as Kemardikan. As such, many of the rules of presentation go out the window. To my eye the creatures represented on this blade are neither Naga or Singo. Perhaps they were created to be a combination of both. This is a nicely crafted and elaborately dressed bit of modern keris art. I don't believe we can hold it to any of the standards of pakem or say for sure exactly what the creatures on the blade are intended to be as they don't seem to fit into any traditional form.

Bjorn · 12th June 2018, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I think what we can now see shows why you identified this figures as Singo rather than Naga. They have front legs and paws, not a feature generally shown on Naga. They also seem to have manes. Then again the legs seem to have scales.
I believe we have already established this keris as Kemardikan. As such, many of the rules of presentation go out the window. To my eye the creatures represented on this blade are neither Naga or Singo. Perhaps they were created to be a combination of both. This is a nicely crafted and elaborately dressed bit of modern keris art. I don't believe we can hold it to any of the standards of pakem or say for sure exactly what the creatures on the blade are intended to be as they don't seem to fit into any traditional form.

In his original post, Ridho identified the figures as singo kilin. The kilin part here seems to be key. The kilin/kirin/qilin is a mythological chimera, which I believe has it's origin in East Asia. There are many representations of qilin with scales, which fits with the way the figures on this keris are depicted. In this regard, we could say the depiction fits the traditional form of the qilin, a non-indigenous chimera, rather well.

ridho pulungan · 13th June 2018, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Yes Ridho, these are better photos in that they are not shaky and blurry, but they are a bit too dark to show the details well. I hope you don't mind that i lightened one up for better viewing.

Thank you so much David.

12th June 2018, 04:14 AM	#4
ridho pulungan Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bogor, west java, Indonesia Posts: 21	Hi guys.. Hope this picture can make you more clear about this keris. Regards. Ridho Pulungan Attached Images

12th June 2018, 02:18 PM	#5
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,229	Yes Ridho, these are better photos in that they are not shaky and blurry, but they are a bit too dark to show the details well. I hope you don't mind that i lightened one up for better viewing. Attached Images

9th June 2018, 10:34 PM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	Yes Kai, Kemardikan, no legitimate Surakarta dhapur. I specify "Surakarta", because that is the only documented one that we have.

9th June 2018, 11:47 PM	#2
drdavid Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 372	Hello Ridho, I am afraid I cannot add to the comments, but could I suggest photographing your keris with a plain background rather than a patterned one, it makes it easier to pick out the details regards Drdavid

11th June 2018, 04:47 PM	#3
ridho pulungan Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bogor, west java, Indonesia Posts: 21	Sorry for bad picture..i will send another picture later..thanks you for all your kind comment.. Regards.

12th June 2018, 02:26 PM	#6
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,229	I think what we can now see shows why you identified this figures as Singo rather than Naga. They have front legs and paws, not a feature generally shown on Naga. They also seem to have manes. Then again the legs seem to have scales. I believe we have already established this keris as Kemardikan. As such, many of the rules of presentation go out the window. To my eye the creatures represented on this blade are neither Naga or Singo. Perhaps they were created to be a combination of both. This is a nicely crafted and elaborately dressed bit of modern keris art. I don't believe we can hold it to any of the standards of pakem or say for sure exactly what the creatures on the blade are intended to be as they don't seem to fit into any traditional form.