Java keris thoughts

SidJ · 21st January 2023, 02:23 PM

Yes that part broke off and it has been cut and flattened. It is an old repair and a fairly typical way of dealing with this as I understand it.

David · 21st January 2023, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidJ

Yes that part broke off and it has been cut and flattened. It is an old repair and a fairly typical way of dealing with this as I understand it.

While i agree that i have seen breaks "repaired" in this manner before i am not sure that this would be considered to be an appropriate way of dealing with such a problem in cultural usage. I have always understood the ladrang form as "formal dress" and it seems to me that within Javanese society such dress would more typically be replaced for use at formal occasions. I do realize that the owner may not have necessarily had the funds for such a replacement, but question if they would still wear this dress as is. Does anyone know?

SidJ · 21st January 2023, 10:40 PM

The mendak on this keris is gold with a setting of stones or glass. Does this add anything to the appraisal?

SidJ · 21st January 2023, 10:51 PM

Bottom of ganja

A. G. Maisey · 22nd January 2023, 12:13 AM

Sid, the sirah cecak (lizard head, front part of gonjo), can be classified as Tuban, if the back part has the right shape it can be confirmed as Tuban, so please, back of gonjo pic.

This is obviously old, it is probably Tuban, very conservative age estimate:- pre-1850.

The loss of the front of the wrongko atasan disqualifies this wrongko from use as a dress keris. The other ways of attending to this break are to adhere a new piece of wood & re-carve, or to reshape the entire wrongko into a "kacir" form.

The mendak looks more like gold over brass, to confirm that it is in fact gold you need to demount it & and test scrapings from the inside of large ring, ie, the ring that contacts the hilt.

Actual gold mendaks are very scarce, they are normally set with true precious stones, usually diamonds or rubies, but not of high quality, they are normally of very fine workmanship.

rasdan · 22nd January 2023, 10:28 AM

Hi Sid.

I am not a Javanese keris hilt connoisseur or specialist, but I must say, the hilt looks quite nice. Probably you can share the straight on photo of the cecakan (the stylised face carving) too?

Usually good handles will have a dudukan i.e the recessed base of the hilt for the mendak but this one does not have it. (Good Solo handles most of the time will have a recessed base, but not all hilt with recessed base are good handles - this is my impression at the current time) Probably somebody flatten it off to fit in a different mendak.

In fact, the entire setup of this keris is quite good if part of the warangka was not broken off. Somebody probably loved this keris very much at some point of its existence.

SidJ · 22nd January 2023, 11:20 AM

Ganja pic No 2.

21st January 2023, 10:40 PM	#3
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	The mendak on this keris is gold with a setting of stones or glass. Does this add anything to the appraisal? Attached Images

21st January 2023, 10:51 PM	#4
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	Bottom of ganja Attached Images

22nd January 2023, 11:20 AM	#7
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	Ganja pic No 2. Attached Images

21st January 2023, 02:23 PM	#1
SidJ Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 207	Yes that part broke off and it has been cut and flattened. It is an old repair and a fairly typical way of dealing with this as I understand it.

22nd January 2023, 12:13 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	Sid, the sirah cecak (lizard head, front part of gonjo), can be classified as Tuban, if the back part has the right shape it can be confirmed as Tuban, so please, back of gonjo pic. This is obviously old, it is probably Tuban, very conservative age estimate:- pre-1850. The loss of the front of the wrongko atasan disqualifies this wrongko from use as a dress keris. The other ways of attending to this break are to adhere a new piece of wood & re-carve, or to reshape the entire wrongko into a "kacir" form. The mendak looks more like gold over brass, to confirm that it is in fact gold you need to demount it & and test scrapings from the inside of large ring, ie, the ring that contacts the hilt. Actual gold mendaks are very scarce, they are normally set with true precious stones, usually diamonds or rubies, but not of high quality, they are normally of very fine workmanship.

22nd January 2023, 10:28 AM	#6
rasdan Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 368	Hi Sid. I am not a Javanese keris hilt connoisseur or specialist, but I must say, the hilt looks quite nice. Probably you can share the straight on photo of the cecakan (the stylised face carving) too? Usually good handles will have a dudukan i.e the recessed base of the hilt for the mendak but this one does not have it. (Good Solo handles most of the time will have a recessed base, but not all hilt with recessed base are good handles - this is my impression at the current time) Probably somebody flatten it off to fit in a different mendak. In fact, the entire setup of this keris is quite good if part of the warangka was not broken off. Somebody probably loved this keris very much at some point of its existence.