Identify a Keris

David · 13th November 2021, 02:45 PM

Just to add to what Detlef has written, it is the gayaman (everyday) form of Surakarta dress. There is also that ladrang (formal) style.
"Luk" as Detlef wrote, refers to the number of waves. There is a specific way to count these and by that method we count 9 (both sides of the blade are counted).
I would also say that it is the dress (sheath and hilt forms) that is Surakarta. This appears to be village work to my eye, not the higher end spectrum to be found with members of court or wealthy merchants, and it is always difficult to place such keris in exacting geographical locations. Though certainly the blade could come from that time and place.This appears to be a keris made for common folk by the local smith. Probably 19th century. It is not in good stain (warangan) so it's difficult to say what pamor pattern the blade might have. Probably the common wos wutah, but the blade would need a warangan (arsenic and lime) treatment to bring out the pattern better to know for sure.

A. G. Maisey · 13th November 2021, 06:50 PM

David & Detlef are right on the mark, but I would be inclined to call this a Central Javanese keris, dressed in the style of Solo, this is only playing with words, but when we use "Surakarta" we are implying a degree of refinement. Surakarta Hadiningrat is the name of the Karaton, the "place of the Ratu", Ratu meaning "ruler", and Surakarta was established near the village of Solo.

A lot of Central Jawa comes under the influence of Solo and of the Surakarta Karaton.

This is a rather humble keris, but it has the potential to be brought to a good level of presentation. The hilt is too far gone for acceptable restoration, but the scabbard (wrongko) is really quite nice, it is not the normal everyday gayaman form, I'd need it in my hand to be definite, but from the photo it looks like a Gayaman Ladrang or possibly a Gayaman Kagok Bancihan. It looks as if it could come up pretty nice.

The pendok could be improved a bit, but really, its not too bad as it is.

The hilt and hilt ring (mendak) should be replaced.

The blade does have pamor wos wutah, but in a blade of this class it is likely to be pamor sanak, which means that the material used to create the pamor is various forms of ferric material, unlikely to be any nickel or high contrast material in this blade.

All in all, this is a pretty decent example of this class of keris, absolutely worth spending time on restoration, and absolutely worth a place in a collection.

Ghostextechnica · 14th November 2021, 08:13 PM

Thanks so much Detlef, David and A.G. Maisey!

Really, really appreciate the detailed comments - fantastic to know more about the Keris I've admired for so long.

I currently have it displayed on a wall in my home and I'm pretty tempted to merge some of your comments into a placard that explains the style and background (especially as I want to pass it down to my children some day).

Something like this?:

Central Javanese Keris (19th Century) - dressed in the style of Solo (Surakarta), 9 luk blade.

Completely makes sense that it's likely village work - my grandfather wasn't very wealthy but liked to travel to remote areas of the globe (comparative to where he lived) long before it became more common to be well travelled. Highly possible he purchased it from a village smith.

David · 14th November 2021, 10:22 PM

Hi Alan. Could you expand upon your identification of the wrongko as Gayaman Ladrang or possibly a Gayaman Kagok Bancihan. How do these forms of gayaman wrongko differ regarding form and place in cultural use. Thanks!

A. G. Maisey · 14th November 2021, 10:49 PM

Here is a page from Haryoguritno's "Keris Jawa", in reality we do not see this variety in use these days, and to find physical examples of many wrongko styles other than the commonly used ones is quite difficult.

I do not know the correct social usage for all the styles. Everybody knows ladrang for dress-up, gayam for everyday, sunggingan for parties --- there are another couple of current usages, but right now I do not have time to look them up, and these are all I can remember.

A. G. Maisey · 14th November 2021, 10:55 PM

Ghost, I'm not real big on hanging keris on walls, they get dusty, fly spotted, if you're in a humid environment they rust.

Its just too much work & constant attention when you hang them up, I used to do this a long time ago, but I've learnt a little bit since then.

This keris is worth putting a bit of work into. If you care to PM me I'll be happy to advise.

Jean · 15th November 2021, 09:43 AM

As a passionate collector I personally love to hang my krisses on the wall, I handle them and replace them regularly for varying my pleasure... And provided that you live in a dry environment and don't expose them directly to the sun light, they don't need much attention, just oiling the blade and polishing the pendok from time to time.

David · 15th November 2021, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

Here is a page from Haryoguritno's "Keris Jawa", in reality we do not see this variety in use these days, and to find physical examples of many wrongko styles other than the commonly used ones is quite difficult.

I do not know the correct social usage for all the styles. Everybody knows ladrang for dress-up, gayam for everyday, sunggingan for parties --- there are another couple of current usages, but right now I do not have time to look them up, and these are all I can remember.

Thanks Alan. I was aware of many of these variations, but had thought it was more a matter of different eras and styles than different purposes. Though i don't have a copy of Haryoguritno's "Keris Jawa" i believe i do have a digital copy of this chart you posted. I guess i never noticed one was named "Gayaman Ladrang". So do i now understand correctly that this is a gayaman sheath form that is acceptable for formal wear?

A. G. Maisey · 15th November 2021, 07:58 PM

Jean, WD40 has very limited capability as a long term protective against corrosion. It does have good short term capability, and as a moisture displacer I personally believe that it is supreme in its field. I have used and recommended WD40 for moisture displacement prior to applying oil and after blade cleaning & staining for many years, I believe I started to use WD40 some time in the 1950's, and I have been using it ever since. It is not just a good product, it is a great product. But it does have limitations.

The manufacturer advises that in a protective environment it has about a two year life as a rust preventative, and in an unprotective environment about half this time.

Prior to oiling a blade my complete preparation is to remove old congealed oil with a toothbrush & mineral turpentine, I then drench with WD40 and stand the blade and allow it to dry off overnight, the following day I brush on a mixture of +/- 50% sandalwood oil and either Singer sewing machine oil or medicinal paraffin.

I buy the sandalwood oil by the litre, it works out a lot cheaper that way.

I then tightly wrap the oiled blade in a plastic envelope.

Blades prepared in this manner can go for 20 years and longer with no maintenance at all.

I live waterfront to a salt water lake. I do not have any rust problems with my blades stored in this way.

The tradition in Jawa for oiling a blade with sandalwood or rose or jasmine oil is to comply with the concept of respect to the keris and to make it a pleasant place for any entity which may care to visit. Yes, the fragrance of the oil does penetrate the wood of the wrongko and the open grain of a blade, and this is exactly as is intended.

The downside of oil penetrating wrongko wood is that it leads to staining and material deterioration, which mean that in a wrongko where the gandar is attached to the atasan with an adhesive, this bond will eventually be loosened, and the gandar will become detached. Once oil has contaminated the joint surfaces of atasan & gandar there is only one adhesive that I know of that will give a degree of adhesion, & that is button shellac used as a hotmix glue. Button shellac is a very weak adhesive, and the joint will separate very easily.

Javanese wrongko joints frequently use button shellac, but keris from other keris bearing societies normally use a fish based wood glue (traditionally) or a modern adhesive at the present time. These other societies do not observe the same traditions as those which apply in Jawa.

In any case, whether one relies on oil soaked wood to prevent rust, or plastic film & oil, or constant repeated maintenance, this much is true:- nowhere in the world will we find a museum curator or conservator who recommends storing ferric materials on or against wood or any other cellulose based material.

Another thing that is true is this:- a good quality gun oil will provide far better protection against corrosion than either WD40 or Singer sewing machine oil --- but the stink of the stuff will surely guarantee that no spiritual entity will ever come anywhere near that keris.

14th November 2021, 10:49 PM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	Here is a page from Haryoguritno's "Keris Jawa", in reality we do not see this variety in use these days, and to find physical examples of many wrongko styles other than the commonly used ones is quite difficult. I do not know the correct social usage for all the styles. Everybody knows ladrang for dress-up, gayam for everyday, sunggingan for parties --- there are another couple of current usages, but right now I do not have time to look them up, and these are all I can remember. Attached Images

15th November 2021, 09:43 AM	#7
Jean Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,740	As a passionate collector I personally love to hang my krisses on the wall, I handle them and replace them regularly for varying my pleasure... And provided that you live in a dry environment and don't expose them directly to the sun light, they don't need much attention, just oiling the blade and polishing the pendok from time to time. Attached Images

13th November 2021, 02:45 PM	#1
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,230	Just to add to what Detlef has written, it is the gayaman (everyday) form of Surakarta dress. There is also that ladrang (formal) style. "Luk" as Detlef wrote, refers to the number of waves. There is a specific way to count these and by that method we count 9 (both sides of the blade are counted). I would also say that it is the dress (sheath and hilt forms) that is Surakarta. This appears to be village work to my eye, not the higher end spectrum to be found with members of court or wealthy merchants, and it is always difficult to place such keris in exacting geographical locations. Though certainly the blade could come from that time and place.This appears to be a keris made for common folk by the local smith. Probably 19th century. It is not in good stain (warangan) so it's difficult to say what pamor pattern the blade might have. Probably the common wos wutah, but the blade would need a warangan (arsenic and lime) treatment to bring out the pattern better to know for sure.

13th November 2021, 06:50 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	David & Detlef are right on the mark, but I would be inclined to call this a Central Javanese keris, dressed in the style of Solo, this is only playing with words, but when we use "Surakarta" we are implying a degree of refinement. Surakarta Hadiningrat is the name of the Karaton, the "place of the Ratu", Ratu meaning "ruler", and Surakarta was established near the village of Solo. A lot of Central Jawa comes under the influence of Solo and of the Surakarta Karaton. This is a rather humble keris, but it has the potential to be brought to a good level of presentation. The hilt is too far gone for acceptable restoration, but the scabbard (wrongko) is really quite nice, it is not the normal everyday gayaman form, I'd need it in my hand to be definite, but from the photo it looks like a Gayaman Ladrang or possibly a Gayaman Kagok Bancihan. It looks as if it could come up pretty nice. The pendok could be improved a bit, but really, its not too bad as it is. The hilt and hilt ring (mendak) should be replaced. The blade does have pamor wos wutah, but in a blade of this class it is likely to be pamor sanak, which means that the material used to create the pamor is various forms of ferric material, unlikely to be any nickel or high contrast material in this blade. All in all, this is a pretty decent example of this class of keris, absolutely worth spending time on restoration, and absolutely worth a place in a collection.

14th November 2021, 08:13 PM	#3
Ghostextechnica Member Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 2	Thanks so much Detlef, David and A.G. Maisey! Really, really appreciate the detailed comments - fantastic to know more about the Keris I've admired for so long. I currently have it displayed on a wall in my home and I'm pretty tempted to merge some of your comments into a placard that explains the style and background (especially as I want to pass it down to my children some day). Something like this?: Central Javanese Keris (19th Century) - dressed in the style of Solo (Surakarta), 9 luk blade. Completely makes sense that it's likely village work - my grandfather wasn't very wealthy but liked to travel to remote areas of the globe (comparative to where he lived) long before it became more common to be well travelled. Highly possible he purchased it from a village smith.

14th November 2021, 10:22 PM	#4
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,230	Hi Alan. Could you expand upon your identification of the wrongko as Gayaman Ladrang or possibly a Gayaman Kagok Bancihan. How do these forms of gayaman wrongko differ regarding form and place in cultural use. Thanks!

14th November 2021, 10:55 PM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	Ghost, I'm not real big on hanging keris on walls, they get dusty, fly spotted, if you're in a humid environment they rust. Its just too much work & constant attention when you hang them up, I used to do this a long time ago, but I've learnt a little bit since then. This keris is worth putting a bit of work into. If you care to PM me I'll be happy to advise.

15th November 2021, 07:58 PM	#9
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,049	Jean, WD40 has very limited capability as a long term protective against corrosion. It does have good short term capability, and as a moisture displacer I personally believe that it is supreme in its field. I have used and recommended WD40 for moisture displacement prior to applying oil and after blade cleaning & staining for many years, I believe I started to use WD40 some time in the 1950's, and I have been using it ever since. It is not just a good product, it is a great product. But it does have limitations. The manufacturer advises that in a protective environment it has about a two year life as a rust preventative, and in an unprotective environment about half this time. Prior to oiling a blade my complete preparation is to remove old congealed oil with a toothbrush & mineral turpentine, I then drench with WD40 and stand the blade and allow it to dry off overnight, the following day I brush on a mixture of +/- 50% sandalwood oil and either Singer sewing machine oil or medicinal paraffin. I buy the sandalwood oil by the litre, it works out a lot cheaper that way. I then tightly wrap the oiled blade in a plastic envelope. Blades prepared in this manner can go for 20 years and longer with no maintenance at all. I live waterfront to a salt water lake. I do not have any rust problems with my blades stored in this way. The tradition in Jawa for oiling a blade with sandalwood or rose or jasmine oil is to comply with the concept of respect to the keris and to make it a pleasant place for any entity which may care to visit. Yes, the fragrance of the oil does penetrate the wood of the wrongko and the open grain of a blade, and this is exactly as is intended. The downside of oil penetrating wrongko wood is that it leads to staining and material deterioration, which mean that in a wrongko where the gandar is attached to the atasan with an adhesive, this bond will eventually be loosened, and the gandar will become detached. Once oil has contaminated the joint surfaces of atasan & gandar there is only one adhesive that I know of that will give a degree of adhesion, & that is button shellac used as a hotmix glue. Button shellac is a very weak adhesive, and the joint will separate very easily. Javanese wrongko joints frequently use button shellac, but keris from other keris bearing societies normally use a fish based wood glue (traditionally) or a modern adhesive at the present time. These other societies do not observe the same traditions as those which apply in Jawa. In any case, whether one relies on oil soaked wood to prevent rust, or plastic film & oil, or constant repeated maintenance, this much is true:- nowhere in the world will we find a museum curator or conservator who recommends storing ferric materials on or against wood or any other cellulose based material. Another thing that is true is this:- a good quality gun oil will provide far better protection against corrosion than either WD40 or Singer sewing machine oil --- but the stink of the stuff will surely guarantee that no spiritual entity will ever come anywhere near that keris.