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Old 11th June 2007, 05:33 AM   #1
Alam Shah
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Made in the style of Bugis blades... but might not be... Just my 2 cents opinion.

Last edited by Alam Shah; 11th June 2007 at 06:29 AM.
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Old 11th June 2007, 06:09 AM   #2
PenangsangII
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Pak Ganja,

Got the nick from my late grandfather who used to liken my temperement to that of Arya Penangsang .

Regarding the sepokal, like Alam Shah had said, I am not too sure whether that is a true blue Bugis or a keris from other regions, looks like a sepokal though.

I saw Raja Gunadala at the base of your keris (looks like a human figure?), I suggest that you keep it. Very nice old blade, and I would like to see it the bugis hulu and sarung before commenting any further.
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Old 11th June 2007, 08:20 AM   #3
kai
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Quote:
Regarding the sepokal, like Alam Shah had said, I am not too sure whether that is a true blue Bugis or a keris from other regions, looks like a sepokal though.
It is a Sepokal but I assume that he's referring to the pieces produced by Maduran bladesmiths these days - at least that's what came to my mind...

BTW, I don't like the Jawa-style etching&staining on a Sulawesi-style blade (nor Sumatran, Malayan, Bali, etc. for that matter ): The heavy warangan can be easily toned down by soaking in coco nut water but I'd also suggest some gentle polishing to get a smoother surface (assuming this is a recent piece and there is enough substance to the blade to work with). While old Bugis-influenced blades often have topographic relief from repeated cleaning/etching, they still tend to have a smooth surface rather than the "porous" finish in keris Jawa.

Much more important would be a decent fit to your scabbard though - any pics? (Kampung.net is still down, I guess? Searching this forum and Alam Shah's website will turn up quite a few pics though to get a better feeling how Bugis blades are supposed to fit.)

Regards,
Kai
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Old 11th June 2007, 06:24 PM   #4
ganjawulung
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Thanks Shahrial, Penangsang, Kai,
Your advice is very useful to determine my next choice. The common mistakes of people like me is: treating other kerises as if Javanese kerises. I'll keep in mind your advice...

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Old 11th June 2007, 09:23 PM   #5
kai
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Hello Ganjawulung,

Quote:
Thanks Shahrial, Penangsang, Kai,
Your advice is very useful to determine my next choice. The common mistakes of people like me is: treating other kerises as if Javanese kerises. I'll keep in mind your advice...
You're welcome!

We have to keep in mind that there a quite a few local keris traditions which may differ pretty much in certain respects while others may be shared. OTOH, there has also been extensive cross-pollination (the Jawa-Palembang connection comes to mind as well as the spread of Bugis-influenced styles). I like this diversity!

However, I always wondered wether different blade types may have been treated differently in some of the more diverse locations - for example in the Palembang sultanate. Any historic sources/hints that I missed?

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Kai
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Old 12th June 2007, 02:33 AM   #6
ganjawulung
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kai
We have to keep in mind that there a quite a few local keris traditions which may differ pretty much in certain respects while others may be shared. OTOH, there has also been extensive cross-pollination (the Jawa-Palembang connection comes to mind as well as the spread of Bugis-influenced styles). I like this diversity!
Yes Kai,
I like the diversity of this keris world too... Sometimes, I look back too far.. It was part of our history. The cross-pollination (I quote your word) at least had happened back in the 13th century. And Sang Adityawarman (Tuanku Janaka, Abhiseka Mantrolot) the founder of Pagarruyung (Minangkabau) kingdom (1339) was a Malay-blood who had been grown up in Majapahit...

Read the interesting books from Prof Dr Slamet Muljana (The Fall of Hindu-Javanese Kingdoms and The Rise of Islamic States in Nusantara -- Runtuhnya Kerajaan Hindu-Jawa dan Timbulnya Negara-negara Islam di Nusantara, 1968 reprinted 2005). Or "Sriwijaya" from the same author.

"Pamalayu Expedition" which was sent by Singasari kingdom (1275), they went back to Java -- bringing two Malay ladies (in Indonesian version, we called the two sisters as Dara Jingga and Dara Petak). Dara Petak was married to Raden Wijaya -- the then founder of the Majapahit kingdom (1294). Their son was king Jayanegara. While Dara Jingga was married to a Singasari hero in Sumatera, (the local name: Adwayawarman). The son was Adityawarman.. (See some versions of WF Stutterheim, Prof CC Berg and Prof VG Kern).

Or the diversity of Bugis. After the fall of Gowa 1669 (in the hand of Vereenig-de Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC), the Bugis warriors were spread. And the East Javanese leader, Trunajaya was established his power in Madura. Trunajaya organised the rebellion against Mataram's ruller of Amangkurat I -- the successor of Sultan Agung. Trunajaya organized the eastern power of Nusantara, including the warriors from Bugis. All the ports in Java were occupied, and Mataram was invaded and Plered Palace of Mataram was occupied too (according to the Australian historian, MC Ricklefs) in the end of May or end of June 1677...

But, I look back to far, Kai...

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Old 13th June 2007, 05:31 AM   #7
PenangsangII
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Pak Ganjawulung,

Other than keris, history is another subject of my interest, and on Nusantara context, they are often corelated.

Pangeran Adityawarman then ruled Palembang after handing over Pagaruyung to his mother, Dara Jingga (matriach system?) then became the ruler (governor?) of Palembang who paid tribute to Majapahit. His grandson, Parameswara , eventually opened Melaka after falling out of favor with Majapahit kingdom.

That is why most Palembang & southern Malay Peninsula kerises are very much influenced by the Javanese.
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