Balinese kris from Polish Museum

wolviex · 13th February 2005, 08:18 PM

Thank you nechesh for your sincerity - you've just ruined my Sunday...

just kidding...
So we got here very ordinary kris, with a little older blade, and superb, excellent, not-fitting-to-all-of these sheath. That's not to bad at all.

Waiting for more opinions
Best regards

nechesh · 13th February 2005, 08:43 PM

No Wolviex. not bad.

In fact, i'll bet i could probably buy more than one nice keris with the profits from that pendok alone.

It is a very nice piece.

John · 14th February 2005, 07:39 AM

The wood looks to be pelet and the figure appears to be Boma, an earth guardian for warding off evil entities as Tom surmises. Sometimes seen with finger claws. An example could be seen in the book "Royal gifts from Indonesia".

wolviex · 14th February 2005, 09:41 AM

Bonispatti/Bonaspatti/Rice deity/Raksa/Kala

are all these deities the same deity

I'm getting really confused. Everybody call it in different way.

One more name and I'll use polling option of this forum

DAHenkel · 14th February 2005, 12:15 PM

I am afraid I am going to have to disagree strongly with most of the comments made to date regarding this keris.

Please note first off that this particular style of keris is a typical and well documented one in the Balinese stable and such hilts are the norm. Figural hilts do occur but they in fact are the exception rather than the rule with the godoan (gayaman) sheath style. Assuming that a relatively "plain" hilt style is incorrect and thus a later addition is completely unfounded. Just because the piece has a gold pendok does not dictate that it must therefore have a fancy golden hilt as well. In fact, as this example shows, quite the opposite was just as often the case.

Unlike we modern Philistines, who can't appreciate anything unless its studded with gold and precious stones, previous generations of keris lovers clearly had a great love for the qualities of wood. Note first of all the extraordinary precision and finess of the workmanship of the hilt and the rare beauty of the wood grain used to make it. (No Tom, its not magic marker)You will not find another one like it in a thousand. Juxtaposed against the flash and finery of the gold pendok, the wood stands up on its own and provides a contrast for and a foil to the precious metals. Sadly, this sort of subtlety is lost on most today.

There are several documented examples of kerises simmilar to the one Wolviex posted. Images in Hamzuri (1983) Fig's 11 - 14, pp 110-12 and Hamzuri (1984) pp's 33 and 43, (Note that the image on p. 33 is reversed due to an upside down negative, the same piece on p. 43 is correct) document a pair of examples in the Indonesian National Museum's collection, while Van Duuren's bibliography has another fantastic example from the Tropen on p. 72, which is also shown in the Orange Nassau book as well.

Topengan are generally held to be representations of the divine demon Kala, in some areas also refered to as Banaspati (pron. Bonaspati). Kala was a powerful protective figure believed to have been appointed by Shiva as a temple guardian.

As for the blade of this piece. Clearly it is of a far "inferior" quality of workmanship to some of the flashier examples of Balinese keris. That said, many of you seem to have forgotten the mystical side of keris belief and the fact that sometimes quite ordinary blades were held in extremely high esteem. Sometimes these were highly prized heirloom piece, or were believed to be of some considerable age or perhaps were held to be particularly powerful talismans. The quality of the workmanship of the blade is often - as it very well could be in this case - completely independent of the rest of the keris and assuming that such a keris is a fabrication completely misses the mark.

The one image posted that shows the fit of the blade is not perfect but does indicate a good fit. Perhaps Wolviex could post another picture or two showing the fit of the blade in the scabbard before we go assuming the piece is a re-fit. I'd be rather surprised in the case of this keris that a relatively small, early and more Javanese-like blade would be large enough to completely fill the cavity left by a more typical Balinese blade. Its rare enough to find a re-fit that works perfectly (although of course it must have happened, nor would we know it eh?) and in this case I suspect darn near impossible. Also, it would be interesting and useful to know when this keris entered the collection and whether it was an aquisition or a donation.

wolviex · 14th February 2005, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAHenkel

Perhaps Wolviex could post another picture or two showing the fit of the blade in the scabbard before we go assuming the piece is a re-fit.

Yes, yes, yes. I'll do it. I wanted to do it earlier, but just forgot. There is something what should explain something, I hope. I'll try to do it tomorrow.

John · 15th February 2005, 12:53 AM

Was looking into a few more references and it does appear examples of this type have been overwhelmingly refered to as "Bonaspati" eg by Tammens, Jensen (Den Indonesiske Kris), and Stone. Duuren mentions Banaspati, a cannibal lord of the forest... Nevertheless similar masks/heads have been referred to as Boma or Kala elsewhere. Do a google on "Boma" and you'll see what I mean...

13th February 2005, 08:18 PM	#1
wolviex Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Poland, Krakow Posts: 418	This was beautiful day... it was... Thank you nechesh for your sincerity - you've just ruined my Sunday... just kidding... So we got here very ordinary kris, with a little older blade, and superb, excellent, not-fitting-to-all-of these sheath. That's not to bad at all. Waiting for more opinions Best regards

14th February 2005, 09:41 AM	#4
wolviex Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Poland, Krakow Posts: 418	I don't know what to think all about it Bonispatti/Bonaspatti/Rice deity/Raksa/Kala are all these deities the same deity I'm getting really confused. Everybody call it in different way. One more name and I'll use polling option of this forum

14th February 2005, 12:15 PM	#5
DAHenkel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 125	I am afraid I am going to have to disagree strongly with most of the comments made to date regarding this keris. Please note first off that this particular style of keris is a typical and well documented one in the Balinese stable and such hilts are the norm. Figural hilts do occur but they in fact are the exception rather than the rule with the godoan (gayaman) sheath style. Assuming that a relatively "plain" hilt style is incorrect and thus a later addition is completely unfounded. Just because the piece has a gold pendok does not dictate that it must therefore have a fancy golden hilt as well. In fact, as this example shows, quite the opposite was just as often the case. Unlike we modern Philistines, who can't appreciate anything unless its studded with gold and precious stones, previous generations of keris lovers clearly had a great love for the qualities of wood. Note first of all the extraordinary precision and finess of the workmanship of the hilt and the rare beauty of the wood grain used to make it. (No Tom, its not magic marker)You will not find another one like it in a thousand. Juxtaposed against the flash and finery of the gold pendok, the wood stands up on its own and provides a contrast for and a foil to the precious metals. Sadly, this sort of subtlety is lost on most today. There are several documented examples of kerises simmilar to the one Wolviex posted. Images in Hamzuri (1983) Fig's 11 - 14, pp 110-12 and Hamzuri (1984) pp's 33 and 43, (Note that the image on p. 33 is reversed due to an upside down negative, the same piece on p. 43 is correct) document a pair of examples in the Indonesian National Museum's collection, while Van Duuren's bibliography has another fantastic example from the Tropen on p. 72, which is also shown in the Orange Nassau book as well. Topengan are generally held to be representations of the divine demon Kala, in some areas also refered to as Banaspati (pron. Bonaspati). Kala was a powerful protective figure believed to have been appointed by Shiva as a temple guardian. As for the blade of this piece. Clearly it is of a far "inferior" quality of workmanship to some of the flashier examples of Balinese keris. That said, many of you seem to have forgotten the mystical side of keris belief and the fact that sometimes quite ordinary blades were held in extremely high esteem. Sometimes these were highly prized heirloom piece, or were believed to be of some considerable age or perhaps were held to be particularly powerful talismans. The quality of the workmanship of the blade is often - as it very well could be in this case - completely independent of the rest of the keris and assuming that such a keris is a fabrication completely misses the mark. The one image posted that shows the fit of the blade is not perfect but does indicate a good fit. Perhaps Wolviex could post another picture or two showing the fit of the blade in the scabbard before we go assuming the piece is a re-fit. I'd be rather surprised in the case of this keris that a relatively small, early and more Javanese-like blade would be large enough to completely fill the cavity left by a more typical Balinese blade. Its rare enough to find a re-fit that works perfectly (although of course it must have happened, nor would we know it eh?) and in this case I suspect darn near impossible. Also, it would be interesting and useful to know when this keris entered the collection and whether it was an aquisition or a donation. Last edited by DAHenkel; 14th February 2005 at 12:36 PM.

15th February 2005, 12:53 AM	#7
John Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Land below the wind Posts: 135	Topengan Was looking into a few more references and it does appear examples of this type have been overwhelmingly refered to as "Bonaspati" eg by Tammens, Jensen (Den Indonesiske Kris), and Stone. Duuren mentions Banaspati, a cannibal lord of the forest... Nevertheless similar masks/heads have been referred to as Boma or Kala elsewhere. Do a google on "Boma" and you'll see what I mean...

13th February 2005, 08:43 PM	#2
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	No Wolviex. not bad. In fact, i'll bet i could probably buy more than one nice keris with the profits from that pendok alone. It is a very nice piece.

14th February 2005, 07:39 AM	#3
John Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Land below the wind Posts: 135	The wood looks to be pelet and the figure appears to be Boma, an earth guardian for warding off evil entities as Tom surmises. Sometimes seen with finger claws. An example could be seen in the book "Royal gifts from Indonesia".