Help with this Keris and pamor ?

[Ganapati]

The estate said it was made in mid 1900s
Can anyone tell me the pamor ?
Is the pamor melati tumpuk?

What do you all think of the tanguh?

[drdavid]

It would help if you showed the whole blade

[Jean]

Originally Posted by Ganapati

What do you all think of the tanguh?

My impression is "tangguh" kamardikan (after 1970) from Madura. Notice the pitting of the iron and steel on the sorsoran.

[A. G. Maisey]

The blade is post 1982, product of Aeng Tong-tong, Sumenep, Madura.

The hilt is much older, probably second half, 19th century.

The mendak is probably Central Jawa, pre-WWII.

The pamor I would give as Banyu Tetes, but there are several candidates, and I would not argue against most of them.

[David]

Alan has provided you with what i would think is a fairly accurate assessment. For future reference, virtually no keris were being produced in the mid-1900 (1940-1960). WWII seems to have put a temporary end to keris production and it didn't get kickstarted again until the 1970s-80s. This seems is a fairly nice karmardikan naga blade, but photos of the entire blade are really necessary to get a full over all impression of the keris (pawakan).

[A. G. Maisey]

I do not consider my dating to be accurate David, it is dating that sets the beginning of modern keris production in the Sumenep area. The first modern work I saw from this area was pretty rough, even in the mid-1990's they were still producing blades that bore very little semblance to older Madura blades or Javanese blades.

This keris looks as if it is nice quality work. I'd need to look at some of my old photos to confirm what is in my mind, but if somebody held a gun at my head and limited my guess to a 5 year window, I'd say second half of the 1990's --- and that is conservative, it is much more likely to be younger than older.

In respect of the name "Melati Tumpuk".

I don't think I've ever heard this name for a pamor, that doesn't mean that somewhere, somebody has not or does not use the name, but for this particular keris that name makes no sense at all.

"Melati" is fragrant flower, and we do have several pamor motifs that incorporate "melati" into the name

"Tumpuk" means a pile or a heap.

I can see no suggestion of piles or heaps of melati blossoms in this pamor.

If we joined those little round motif elements with a straight piece of pamor material, we might get the Melati Rinonce motif; if the round elements were further apart we might get Melati Sinebar.

[David]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

I do not consider my dating to be accurate David, it is dating that sets the beginning of modern keris production in the Sumenep area. The first modern work I saw from this area was pretty rough, even in the mid-1990's they were still producing blades that bore very little semblance to older Madura blades or Javanese blades.

When i suggested that your assessment was "fairly accurate" i was referring to everything you had written, not specifically your dating of the blade. I definitely agree that in 1982 there probably was not anyone on Sumenep producing blades of this quality as the renewal of keris making in that area was only just getting started.

[Jean]

The hilt is in tumenggunan (regent) style from Madura and a bit roughly carved, see 2 other specimens.